Comments on: Pretty soon we won’t be able to do anything for ourselves.

By: FrankC

FrankC — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 18:47:04 +0000

I agree that some of the “aids” are asinine and cater to the lowest common denominator.

As bad as many drivers are, I suppose any help they can get is worthwhile. I would prefer that they were options, so a lower price might be available without those bells and whistles. However, I imagine the people who need them would not buy them.

There is definitely a problem with the licensing procedure in my State. My grandson was recently licensed (on his second attempt) and I was not convinced he could drive well enough to be licensed. He had saved his money from a part time job and immediately bought his first car. I figured he would gain experience and be okay. In less than 60 days he had totaled his car and was lucky he was not injured. Now my daughter won’t even let him drive her car and I can’t blame her.

It was a lack of maturity that caused his crash and not lack of ability to start the car and get from point A to point B. If he had been required to take the test in a standard shift he would probably never have passed the test.

By: FrankC

FrankC — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 18:13:45 +0000

Had to be over 30 years ago I guess, you could not be licensed in an automatic.

I agree with the gear shifting but I have to take the 5th on the tire pressure. I am terrible at noticing low tire pressure and with power steering, when you notice a low pressure problem it has been there for awhile. I would appreciate a warning light.

By: ER

ER — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 17:00:47 +0000

With anti-locking brakes, automatic transmissions, front-wheel drive and power steering and brakes, it is difficult to deliberately break your rear end loose to help you get around a corner in a hurry.

I used to be a competition driver, but I haven’t driven a car HARD in 30 years. And I really miss it.

By: RobVG

RobVG — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 14:48:43 +0000

Good point about knowing the basics.

They stopped requiring private pilots to learn spin recovery. They used to teach it in the 70′s but I don’t know when they stopped.

You can get an aerobatic certification but It makes you wonder how many fliers have never had to regain control of their aircraft.

Maybe it doesn’t matter. Just about all of the local small plane crashes are fuel or mechanical problems. But still, knowing what your plane can and can’t do, actually ‘feeling’ it, seems like a no- brainer to me.

By: ER

ER — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:08:15 +0000

…should be allowed to use automatic transmissions. They can have a waiver on their driver’s licenses. Everyone else should have to learn to shift gears, just to demonstrate a basic understanding of the operation of an automobile.

When you rent a small sailboat at the beach, you have to demonstrate your basic skills by rigging it yourself. If you can’t do that, you have no business being out on the water. But if you rent a 300 HP powerboat you sign a paper and they hand you the keys.

By: bowser

bowser — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 05:16:22 +0000

Unless it’s down to about 10 pounds I can’t tell. Sometimes it’s parked on a slope, sometimes the wheel is turned, I swear every time I think a tire is low it’s not.

Consequently my tires are very neglected. I can use all the help I can get, too.

By: TB

TB — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 04:27:14 +0000

I almost fried an engine because my temp gauge and coolant warnings were shot. My van has idiot lights for about forty different things. I don’t mind the extra information.

A big van has a lot of blind spots. I watch mirrors constantly, but the backup camera is nice (it’s low down and could spot a tennis ball behind me). I wouldn’t mind proximity sensors because I can’t directly see either my nose or my tail.

None of this equipment stops me from looking at the tires myself, checking the driveway for leaks, and making sure the neighbor’s cat isn’t hiding under the car before I back out.

Most city drivers would probably sell their mothers for a reliable automated parallel parking system.