[drbawb]

Precisely. I've long wanted to build a HUD that could project on all the glass surfaces of my car. If I were building a HUD, it should be giving me a "heads up."

The windshield would have navigational aids, but any surface in the car could be used to display hazards!

I want my car to identify if a pedestrian is present (highlighted in yellow) or if they appear to be crossing my heading (highlighted in red.)

I want my car to tell me if there is cross-traffic that is about to run a red light. I'd like to see speed and distance indicators for other vehicles on the road.

I'd love to see the speed of traffic I'm merging into. When I glance over my shoulder to check traffic I can see: !! 64MPH | 72MPH !! in yellow, indicating I should merge faster if I'm able.

If my car detects emergency vehicles or construction vehicles the HUD could draw attention to it in my windows or mirrors.

---

Perhaps my HUD could identify vehicles occupied by "Tweeters" so I can be sure to avoid them?

We're making self-driving cars... there are countless ways to apply that same technology to human-driven cars that would make the roads safer for everyone. If the best they can come up with is song selection and social media: I think their priorities are a bit misaligned.

[antocv]

But I already have all that information. And I dont have any HUD or other displays anywhere.

I can see the speed of traffic Im merging into, pedestrians, change of speed/flow of traffic ahead of me, and if a pedestrian appears to be willing to cross infront of me.

Without even having to think about it, I can just notice when there is emergency vehicles around or construction vehicles or any other danger-sign on the road. I can be talking to my passangers, listening to music or day-dreaming but would not miss any signs - its in the automated system already.

For me, having those kind of HUD stuff would just be even more redundant information to learn to automatically filter out/make judgements on.

In fact, I think such a heads-up-displays everywhere with color information, would just confuse drivers more and lead to more accidents - now you not only have to keep eyes on the road/let brain handle the information and do its thing - but also interpret and learn the various displays and what they mean, but also to confirm what they display to the sorrounding. More info to process - more error prone decisions.

[alandarev]

Where are you residing? I am sure the rest of the world could learn from crash-free place you live in.

In my 18's I though the same, why all those precautions? I can write SMS and not kill anyone! Truth is, I was lucky not to run into emergency situation while being distracted by mobile.

There is very little risk in regular circumstances, but when unlikely events overlap bad things happen. Blown tire on a motorway, cyclist falling to the middle of a road, uncontrolled vehicle approaching you, and other infinitely many rare possibilities.

P.S. highlighting pedestrians might be life-saving during minimal vision weather.

[hoektoe]

I would like the following from a HUD:

Outline a car that a standing still or rapidly decreasing speed. This would reduce mundane traffic accidents due to perception errors.

Show road lanes, especially in poor visibility.

Help nightblind users to drive at night

[antocv]

Im residing in one of the best places for traffic safety after decades of work towards "0 traffic deaths per year goal".

I dont fiddle with my phone when in the car - there is a holder for it on the dashboard so I can see and hear it clearly when GPS/GoogleMaps is on.

Running into an emergency situation and having different color lights or other information on any windshield would be disaster.

Ive been in emergency situations many times, in other countries and one which I believe has the most unsafe roads in the world. Escaped many though situations.

And Ive also hardly survived a frontal crash with another car (in the safe country), I was going 70km/h and other one was equal or faster. I wouldnt recommend adding more information than already present for a human brain to take decisions on. That information can be fed to a computer to take decisions when cars become self-driving.

But yeah HUD is cool. I would use it to show the speedometer higher up than it is right now.

[nnnnni]

You must have a magical car that has absolutely no blind spots! Which one is it? I'd like to consider purchasing one as my next car.

My current car will give warnings if it sees cross traffic approaching when in reverse. It has warned me a few times when someone is driving way too quickly through a parking lot and my view has been blocked by parked cars.

Things like this are REALLY useful. You just don't realize how useful they are because you haven't used the technology yet.

[drbawb]

Out of curiosity what car is that? I've seen a lot of blind spot/collision avoidance stuff but I don't think I've seen any sort of "cross traffic" detection yet.

Just the other day my friend drove past someone who was actively backing out a big SUV.

As we drive past our car is well below the level of the SUVs rear window. I just thought to myself: "he's incredibly lucky the SUV even saw him."

[ajford]

I have a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country that has such a feature. It's an extension of the "blind-spot" feature that is only active during reverse. It's saved me a couple of times in crowded parking lots with impatient and fast drivers.

[nnnnni]

In this case, it was a Ford Escape. It has proximity sensors all around -- it'll also tell you when someone is in your blind spot in a neighboring lane.

[Shivetya]

I am all for HUDs, if not most instrumentation, simply telling me what is wrong. When driving all I really want to know is, my speed and the speed limit. I could care less about the rest.

Yet I am a still a gear head at heart and having the option to see engine temperature, oil pressure (provided its a real reading), fuel, and such, would be nice I do not need it in my field of view. Perhaps the items I want to really know can be designated to pop up when I stop.

So, nav dream state.

default, speed and limit. Navigation if I am following a route Ability to designate selected other values to display all the time, at stop, when near threshold.

optional voice

[TeMPOraL]

I don't get why you got downvoted.

I agree with your opinion. More data, even if relevant and not tweets, doesn't always mean better. The purpose of displayed information should be to augment decision making. If something is irrelevant to making a call, like engine temperature being in proper range, it should be out of sight because otherwise it's a (mild) distraction.

[gchokov]

Sygic drive's HUD option has exactly this. Works like a charm during the night.

[simonebrunozzi]

Good suggestions, drbawb.