VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Too easy to drive?

Are today's cars too easy to drive? I notice as I go for my daily morning walk, the number of people talking on cell phones and texting as they drive. As I was driving my '30 the other day, the thought occured to me, that I have too much to do while driving this old machine to allow time to do much else (ie text and/or cell phone conversations). Now I do appreciate being able to get in my daily driver and just turn the key and go; point the car in direction I wish to travel, and just sort of sit back and relax. No worries about up or down shifting, just a casual scan of the gauges (what there are of them), and confidence that the brakes will stop me on a dime and I don't always have to anticipate the sudden need to come to a screeching halt. In the old Chev, I'm constantly looking for stray pedestrians or cars pulling out in front of me, anticipating traffic light changes so that minimal shifting will be required, and always, always, scanning the gauges to make sure the motor is running as it should. Maybe if our modern cars required a bit more effort to drive, there would be fewer incidents involving distracted driving.
Just the rantings here of an old codger. Still though,

Happy Motoring,

Dan

Maybe they're also not as fun to drive. Texting or not paying attention just plain ruins the fun of pushing a Chevy Six around!

I thought the F--d guys pushed and us Cheby guys drove and grinned/ waved as we passed them F--d guys.

Car manufacturer made driving easier to make it safer. People should spend more attention to the road. But what are people doing? Spend this brain capacity for using their cell phones while driving.

Tino

You don't "drive" new cars- you just sit, point and turn your brain off. I reckon every driver should be made to drive a stick-shift, manual braked, manual steer car when they start off, then progress to car that has all the modern Doo-dads.
You become so much more aware of the brain-dead drivers around you when you drive a "normal" (well, to us at least) car.

I could not agree with Dan any more! I think many people are so self absorbed with the constant attention they get with a cell phone they could care less if they are driving. I saw a sign on 495 in NY last week instead of telling that a rest area is 2 miles ahead, it now reads "Texting Area 2 miles ahead" this is not a joke.
As far as new cars removing the pleasure of driving, I think that all depends on what new car you are driving.... some of these new cars are a blast to drive

Its up to the government......federal , state/province to make the laws as harsh as possible and allow the police to enforce them.

$1000.00 fine first offense, with confiscation of & destruction of the phone

$3000.00 fine second offense, with confiscation of & destruction of the phone , PLUS 30 DAYS IN JAIL

$5000.00 fine for 3rd offense, with confiscation of the phone, PLUS 6 MONTHS IN JAIL ,

ALL OF THE ABOVE, plus subject person should be given an IQ test.

If at any stage 1-2-3 a person has an accident while phone in use and causes injury or death to somebody......automatic 10 years no time off for good behavior.

mike lynch

The government will only do it's part if the citizens demand it. There are tons of laws on the books that are neglected and ignored. Unless there is an accident or an obviously dangerous driver on the road they most likely will not get pulled over. I drove thru New York a couple of weeks ago and noticed the signs for Texting Rest Areas and also ones that said the minimum speed was 45MPH. Probably not too many that get pulled over for doing under 45 when the speed limit was 65 and most were cruising at 75-80 MPH.

Ha! you should see Mississippi. We have only 26 State Highway Patrol. That is for three shifts! Go figure you odds of being pulled over for that!!!!

47Aero
Here in New South Wales if you do your driving test in a vehicle with automatic trans your licence is stamped as such and it is an offence to drive a manual until you redo your test in a manual. Heavy vehicles have 3 stages automatic, synchromesh and manual (road ranger).
Tony

My last cars bought new were a 1991 olds cutlass supreme 3.4, a 1996 Pontiac Bonneville SSEI supercharged and a 2003 chevy S10 extended cab Extreme model.

The newest car I purchased is a 2014 Chrysler SRT 6.4 470 hp loaded with every option available. Its a very distracting car as its always beeping or flashing lights when somebody comes up behind you, get to close to somebody and the 6 piston brembo brakes start working all on their own to slow you down.

I have found that its best to select the features you want to use before starting off because that big 8.4 screen in the car to make selections is a big distraction.

Yes, car is capable and has hands free in car cell phone which belongs to wife. And using it hands free is A DISTRACTION.

The car is a fully loaded rolling distraction entity and its taken me almost a year to get used to all the features, as I get dragged kicking and screaming into the new car world.

mike lynch...........

Hey Mike,
I have a 2015 Cadillac CTS and have discovered the same problem, just changing the radio stations is a major distraction. The voice recognition does not recognize my heavy NY accent, so it responds "pardon" when I attempt use that feature to change the radio station. It seemed to work for Peyton Manning calling audibles to his radio in a Buick commercial a few years ago. Once I get past all of that stuff when I put the transmission in manual mode and use the paddle shifters it is a BLAST to drive

As far as the texting while driving, the law should be just as harsh as drunk driving, and sadly that will not happen until some politicians family member is hurt, or even worse.
I just don't understand how people became so self absorbed that they need to send text messages constantly, and how many of these messages are really that urgent? The film 2001 A Space Odyssey has become true, instead of Hal the big computer controlling mankind it has become small computer, the cell phone controlling us all.

My wife and I go to a lot of NY Yankee games and had noticed at least 75% of the people at the games are glued to their phone for the entire game. At $100 a ticket why do they even go if they are not watching the game? The games are quiet now from a lack of fan noise because most of them are not paying attention to the game.

Nowadays, with the modern driving helps and nice interstate roads, driving is nothing but boring.

You now have:

Radar that tells you when you're too close behind someone else
Automatic braking to slow you down and automatic speed up when a wide enough gap exists
Automatic stop that applies the brake for you at stop signs and stoplights
Cruise control
Power brakes and steering
Power trunkk release and opening
Power trunk closing
Power door closing
etc, etc.

It's like flying. When flying with basic gadgets, you have to pay attention. Nowadays, pilots become so bored they take nap or come to work drunk. Once you get all the data in the computer there is nothing else to do but "round out."

So no wonder so many drivers text whilst driving. Who can blame them?

As to a fine for texting there should be one for having a Fulton on the car.

Give out of state cars a wide berth and don't blow you horn at them. It may shock them into overreacting when they nudge the fog/ rumble strip.

It ani't gonna get any better folks. We need automatic transporters that bust us down into molecules and zip them to wherever programed for reassembly. First to get this new technology should be Fleetliners.

Charlie

I noticed that the other day while watching a blue jays game on tv, seemed like as the camera panned the area behind home plate up to maybe 15 rows, all these people, maybe 80% , had their heads down staring at the phone .

ITS A DISEASE !!!!!!!!!!

They walk out into traffic head down. Walk into telephone and street light poles, head down. Its gotten to the point of being beyond HILARIOUS TO WATCH .

I am going to google the "driving while distracted" law and penalties here in Ontario. I know they were talking $1000 fine, not sure what it ended up at.

According to GOOGLE it was upped from $280 too $490 last sept 1 2015. Plus you get 3 demerit points and if your stupid enough to get do it & caught again on 3rd offense you lose license

mike lynch

STREET RACING RUNNING WILD , LIKE ON TV.......NEW SUBJECT???

Mike
Down here it is a $300.00 + fine and 3 points each time but then on holiday weekends they double the points and fines.
Tony

Tony,
That's all well and good and a step in the right direction. Here New York I never even had heard getting a summons for texting while driving. The laws are only good if they are enforced.

maybe N.Y.S.T are too busy eating tim hortons donuts and coffee while they hide along US 90 behind bushes ?

on my trips down thru NH & VT and to Rochester NY, I rarely if ever see N Y S T or sheriffs ?

mike lynch

What is a Tim Horton?

Are there still Spudnuts around?

Charlie

Well Charlie, Tim Horton is a fast food type restaurant chain known for its coffee and doughnuts. It started in Canada and is popular along Interstates and Canadian freeways.

There is supposed to be a Spudnut in Cornelius, NC.

Happy Motoring,

Dan

PS Thanks to all who have responded to my initial rant. I didn't think it would get this kind of response.

Hey Mike,
That's the other part of NYS. I myself had never really ventured up that way. Never went further north or west in NYS then Cooperstown, I'm a NYC kinda guy.

Tim Hortons donuts/coffee/sandwiches and Burger king have joined together last year in a mega merger and the conquest of the coffee---donut drinkers in the usa is being fulfilled, state by state.

Right now the attack is being launched on the state of Indianna with many new shops being opened.

I live in a town , WHITBY Ontario, about 125,000 population and I swear we must have at least 30 tim hortons stores. The line ups for the drive thrus are famous for their length.

mike lynch

To my knowledge the texting gets a ticket on the spot, the drunk driving is a preliminary breathe test, then a more thorough test at the station with appropriate paperwork afterwards. The speeding infringements can be on the spot or if detected by fixed camera by mail. In all cases if the initial fine isnt paid there is a summons to appear in court.
Tony

I enjoyed this post by DanR and his description of driving his old Chev.

It's amazing how much similar it is to riding a motorcycle.
Maybe not so much the constant gauge scanning but the parts about being focused on your surroundings, stopping distances and the possible need to make a quick move.

I think some motorcycle riding makes one a better driver as your constantly watching for dogs, deer, minute changes in the road surface,
pedestrians, kids, driveways, intersections and on and on.

Edit: And yes, new stuff is extremely easy to drive. Not that it's a bad thing.