Ford Backup Assist

[holstein13]

I hope I'm not the 10th person to post this:

Ford Backup Assist

[Ski_Pro_3]

Jebby14 wrote:
backing up a trailer isn't that hard. seems like a giant waste of money to me

I agree.
Place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. Move your hand and wheel to the left to make the trailer turn left. Turn to the right to make the trailer turn right.

[Oaklevel]

holstein13 wrote:
You can't stop progress. In my opinion, drivers are already distracted. There's no denying it. I see a large percentage of the population texting, using Facebook, snapchat, Pinterest or some GPS program almost constantly while on the highways.

The problem is that driving is just boring enough that we end up with lots of unused brain capacity and we THINK we can do all these other things while out on the road and, frankly, 99.99% of the time, we can do those things and absolutely nothing bad will happen.

The problem comes when something unexpected occurs and we are distracted by our gadgets. In my opinion, the driverless car is the solution to this problem. People just don't care to pay attention to driving anymore and I'd rather see an alert technology directing these cars than a careless human driver.

I, for one, welcome our new robotic overlords.

I just do not think the technology is there........ I do not know what bookface & smart phones are but auto makers can't make cars that have air bags that don't mame, key switches that cut off at 60 mph, engines that fail at bad times, gas pedals that stick or other serious issues & we can expect that they can build in mass production driverless cars ???????? Really ..... Give me my manual transmission & a car I can drive ............ I drive over 50,000 miles a year I would have a hard time trusting an automaker to get anything right......... quality is still terrible. Then there is the issue the auto mechanics around here can't even work on a modern car without screwing it up......

My solution would be a system that disables all electronic gadgets when you turn on the ignition.......:)

[CavemanCharlie]

Um, I don't understand how it works? How is turning the knob any different then turning the steering wheel?

[Oaklevel]

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
I wonder what comments our grandparents made about automatic transmissions. 'How can you ever learn to drive if you can't shift gears?"

Grandparents ???????? No Us !!! I still say it.... the sons both learned on a manual. One still drives one, I still drive one, Hate Automatics. 🙂 Took the second son to the church parking lot on a steep incline & told him here ya go......... don't kill it uphill..... He received an award from the insurance company $500 for no tickets or accidents before he was of age.

Backing assist not for me either....... 🙂

[Crowe]

I realized I had gotten careless backing up because I could depend on technology to let me know when to stop.

Exactly.

[holstein13]

You can't stop progress. In my opinion, drivers are already distracted. There's no denying it. I see a large percentage of the population texting, using Facebook, snapchat, Pinterest or some GPS program almost constantly while on the highways.

The problem is that driving is just boring enough that we end up with lots of unused brain capacity and we THINK we can do all these other things while out on the road and, frankly, 99.99% of the time, we can do those things and absolutely nothing bad will happen.

The problem comes when something unexpected occurs and we are distracted by our gadgets. In my opinion, the driverless car is the solution to this problem. People just don't care to pay attention to driving anymore and I'd rather see an alert technology directing these cars than a careless human driver.

I, for one, welcome our new robotic overlords.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

gbopp wrote:

Crowe wrote:
What if it malfunctions?

If you're concerned about a trailer backing system failing, you may want to stay away from fly-by-wire airliners. 🙂

Yes, but fly by wire doesn't mean a pilot doesn't still need to know the physics of flight. Fly by wire and auto-pilot aren't the same. Also, auto features are a supplement, not a replacement to knowing how to fly.

I intend on buying a manual transmission jeep in the next year or so and teaching my kids to drive a stick but you can get buy on an automatic just find in the U.S. You should still know how to back a trailer in case the system breaks or you get a new TVV without it. I was guilty recently of over-relying on the backup sensor in my truck. It's a great feature but quit working temporarily after a car wash. I realized I had gotten careless backing up because I could depend on technology to let me know when to stop.

[gbopp]

Crowe wrote:
What if it malfunctions?

If you're concerned about a trailer backing system failing, you may want to stay away from fly-by-wire airliners. 🙂

[mich800]

rhagfo wrote:

mich800 wrote:
I do not see me ever using it but would put it into the same category as cruise, automatic transmissions, blind spot indicators, etc. Just another function to make driving easier and/or safer for the general public.

Yea I really liked the the add for either Volvo or BMW with some guy driving down the road thinking about every think except driving. The "Features" saved him like four times during the ad, what if he missed a red light or kids running into the street!!!
That is all we need is MORE distracted drivers.

It is coming. Automatic stop and driverless cars. You will be able to sit back and read the newspaper or kindel on your way to work. 😄

[rhagfo]

mich800 wrote:
I do not see me ever using it but would put it into the same category as cruise, automatic transmissions, blind spot indicators, etc. Just another function to make driving easier and/or safer for the general public.

Yea I really liked the the add for either Volvo or BMW with some guy driving down the road thinking about every think except driving. The "Features" saved him like four times during the ad, what if he missed a red light or kids running into the street!!!
That is all we need is MORE distracted drivers.

Jack_Diane_Freedom wrote:
I wonder what comments our grandparents made about automatic transmissions. 'How can you ever learn to drive if you can't shift gears?"

Well the best thing I ever did for both of my girls, was their first cars were sticks! Oldest lives in Ireland were about 90%+ of cars and trucks are sticks!!!
Good luck on renting an auto in Europe, they are a very in limited supply!!!

[Jebby14]

backing up a trailer isn't that hard. seems like a giant waste of money to me

[Jack_Diane_Free]

I wonder what comments our grandparents made about automatic transmissions. 'How can you ever learn to drive if you can't shift gears?"

[mich800]

I do not see me ever using it but would put it into the same category as cruise, automatic transmissions, blind spot indicators, etc. Just another function to make driving easier and/or safer for the general public.

[Crowe]

Not a fan solely from the aspect of not learning how to drive correctly. I can't back a trailer up worth spit, but I'd rather gain the ability to do so rather than rely on something electronic. What if it malfunctions?

[Oasisbob]

I can't decide if this is a good thing or not. Anybody used it?