[Humphrey]

I hired a Chinese Haval Car for a weekend last year (Australia). It started beeping at me for being distracted because I was checking for traffic in the other lanes - which is crucial when driving in a 4 lane highway.

Of cause, I had never experienced such a beep before, so I had to take my eyes off the road tp look at the screen to see what the reason for the beeping was.

Then, on a multlane highway, I would indicate to signal my intention to change lanes. The car then started beeping at me. After a couple of days I figured out it was warning me that there was a car in my blind spot. WTF! The whole point of indication is to signal my intention to move, so that the car in my blind spot creates room for me to merge into their lane.

So - if you have to ignore beeps in order to drive safely - then the beeps are making the car more dangerous than not having them.

Also, the cruise control +/- controls, would only ever move the speed up down to speeds that are divisable by 5. Such a joke, because if the speed limit is 110, your only options for cruise control at 105, 110, or 115. I won't use 110, because as soon as I go downhill, it will creep over 11, but 105 is too slow.

It was such a relief to arrive home and return to driving my 2006 Suburu Forester. It felt much safer, didn't beep at me... and the cruise control +/- were in 1kmph increments.

After that experience, my current plan is to keep this 20yo car running as long as possible.

[interf4ce]

> The whole point of indication is to signal my intention to move, so that the car in my blind spot creates room for me to merge into their lane.

That is definitely not the point of a turning signal. The car that's already in the lane has right of way and it's your responsibility not to plow into them. If they opt to make room for you, great (that's just courteous driving), but it's not an obligation.

If you can't see the car in your blindspot when changing lanes, you're not doing a proper shoulder check, hence the blindspot warning.

[Hnrobert42]

But if you do a shoulder check, the car will beep for tacking your eyes off the road!

Third base!

[Humphrey]

> That is definitely not the point of a turning signal

Incorrect. The turning signal is called an Indicator, because it give other drivers an indication of your intentions. So you first look and check that it's possible and likely safe to merge. Then you indicate your intention. You then merge if/when safe.

Indicating an intention to merge into a narrow gap is fine - as long as you only merge when there is sufficient room to do so.

But if the car beeps at you just because you indicated - then there is a design issue.

> If they opt to make room for you, great (that's just courteous driving), but it's not an obligation.

Absolutely - I was not implying it was an obligation. I am only saying that you use your indication to indicate to other drivers your intention. It is totally valid to turn off your indicator and not merge after indicating.

[interf4ce]

My apologies, then, I misunderstood your point.

That said, I still think it's a generally good feature. If a person is distracted and fails to see the vehicle in their blind spot during their inital shoulder check, that beep might prevent an accident.

On my vehicle that warning can be disabled, which I think is the right way to provide features like this. People who find it useful can leave it on and people who find it distracting can turn it off.

[oalae5niMiel7qu]

The one time I rented a car with this feature, it claimed there was a car in my blind spot when there was none. It seemed to be reacting to a car that I had already determined was clear of my path.

[mrandish]

> would only ever move the speed up down to speeds that are divisable by 5.

I have a seething hatred for UX that forces every setting to be in nonsensical chunks for no reason. Bad designers somehow think that it's "simpler" but it's just not. It's pushy, annoying and disrespectful to users to presume you know what values they should prefer. A good UX designer can always find a way to let users fine-tune settings to suite their individual differences.

[bb123]

If you turn your turn signal on while there’s a car in your blindspot that’s just bad driving. The other driver has no way of knowing if you’ve seen them or you’re about to swing out on them.

[ammojamo]

Disagree. The purpose of the indicator is to signal your intention to others. Indicate first, then shoulder check. If you then discover a car in your blind spot, abort the manoeuvre if necessary or slow down to let them pass you first.

I do agree it's bad form to indicate when you know there is a car in your blind spot already.

Discovering a car in your blind spot should be a relatively rare occurrence if you are driving attentively.

[Humphrey]

You indictor is an indication of your intensions so that the other drivers are not surprised when they see you car move from the expected path. If you are only a road with light traffic then yes, first adjust your speed so cars are not in your blind spot and then indicate.

But, if you are in tight traffic then a gap will unlikely open up. In this case you use your indicator to signal your intention, and wait until somebody chooses to let you in - making sure they have noticed you before moving in.

A car that beeps at you just because there is a car in your blind spot when you indicate is not suited to Australian road rules.

[navane]

Then how do you merge when the lanes are all backed up

[red-iron-pine]

> Then, on a multlane highway, I would indicate to signal my intention to change lanes. The car then started beeping at me. After a couple of days I figured out it was warning me that there was a car in my blind spot. WTF! The whole point of indication is to signal my intention to move, so that the car in my blind spot creates room for me to merge into their lane.

"a turn signal is not a question, it is a statement"

[Humphrey]

A statement of what?