Annoying driver aids

[iand12]

Please someone help me. I took delivery of a new C-HR at the end of May and overall I'm impressed with it. Great M.P.G; and handles well. However it's driving me up the wall with some of it's 'driver aids' that I can't seem to turn off completely. The ones that come to mind are 'lane sway, collision, and tea break. Even if I turn them off they seem to be ultra sensitive and still go off! It's got to the point now that I'm seriously looking at getting rid of the car, which would be a pity because in all other respects I'm impressed with it. In my old Prius plus I could turn these things off and they'd stay that way but not so on this C-HR, sadly. So if anyone can help I'd be eternally grateful. Thank you.   

[jthspace]

On my Yaris, there is a "lane control" button on the steering wheel.  Quick press for options, long press to turn off. Unfortunately it resets to standard next ignition on, but it soon becomes automatic - turn on, seat belt, press lane control long press.

From memory (I've played around with too many settings!) I think I turned off "rest nag" completely somewhere in the menu system.

May be able to turn off lane nag as default using Carista or similar?

[yossarian247]

On our 2018 C-HR such things once switched off, stay off. I would give Carista (or Techstream) a try, as from memory it is possible to choose whether or not these settings retain their previous state after an ignition switch off and restart.

[Haliotis]

In buying my 2021 C-HR, this is the first time I have had so many ”driver aids”.  A few I have found to be advantageous, and regularly use them.  Some I have tried ‘out of curiosity’ only to later ignore them.  For me, personally, I feel that manufacturers have gone a bit too far and, like myself, I only have some of these “aids” because they happen to already be on the (preowned) car of my choice.   The only ‘must haves’ are the cruise control, the satnav and some aspects of the infotainment system. 

[FROSTYBALLS]

Nine systems including lane keep assist, forward collision assistance, driver drowsiness warning, etc, became compulsory in the EU for models with new Type Approval from July 2022, and for all new cars from 2024.

Manufacturers are fitting these systems to existing models in preparation for the 2024 compulsion, and as the UK is adopting this EU legislation, the systems and whether they may be turned off or not are here to stay.

 

[ISL]

One of the reasons why the GR86 is such a great car, no silly driver aids, but also killed off immediately by legislation. 

[Haliotis]

A few of the systems are useful.  The blind spot warning where a bleep is given and there is an amber flashing icon in the exterior mirror(s) - this I have become accustomed to and naturally observe.  The automatic braking if one becomes close to a vehicle in front seems, to me, to only work some of the time and possibly linked to the cruise-control function.  I always maintain a good distance, and would never rely on the car to keep me safe.  The rear “drive by” warning of someone crossing your rear is useful as, when reversing and looking around for clearance, it is not always possible to immediately spot the driver who ignores what you are obviously doing and goes merrily across your rear.

What I don’t like is the lane keep assist, when the car noticeably tries to stop you from moving across a lane.  And one thing that I do find annoying, is the sudden back-lit red of the MFD with a “BRAKE” warning.  This happens if I am approaching a stationary vehicle, or when I have pulled over to pass a stationary car, with plenty of room for myself and an oncoming vehicle to pass without any need to give way.

Since this is my first car with so many “gadgets”, my priority has been to familiarise myself with the car from a normal “driver in control” situation, and follow this up with the “gadgets” - and deciding which I really need, and if/how I can turn off those I don’t want.

I am afraid that I see all these systems as a distraction from the driver being  the driver.  Cannot a combination of playing with the ‘toys’ and at the same time relying on the safety features to keep you safe, in actual fact be a recipe for accidents?

[Penfold72]

Where is the Driver Drowsiness on the 2022 C-HR.  This is something ive never seen, and cant find any reference in the online user manual.

Had it on ly last car, a kia sportage, it never went off, and I dont think I ever used it.

I agree, with the lane keeping assist, in that its a pain nowadays with so many cars parked at the roadside, there is no option to no move over into the other lane at times, and vie had to noticeable make steering corrections, to stop the car steering into a parked car!!!!

Ive had the RED BRAKE warning a few times, same reasons.  Not once has it tried to brake for me.  An Aygo courtesy car, was even worse, it was constantly going off, and it detected a person on the pavement, and anchored on the brakes once....  Frightened the life out of me.......

[Haliotis]

Late last night, on the M69, I did a little experiment.  Staying in the inside lane at about 55mph, I held the steering wheel lightly in m,y hands without applying any influence on it.  The car stayed in lane and towards the end where it joined the M1, where the M69 has a couple of distinct bends, the car safely folllowed the bends.

From this I concluded that when i am firmly gripping the wheel, I probably cause the car do drift gradually towards one side of the lane or the other, and the opposing force that I sometimes experience is the lane assist trying to pull me back towards the centre of the lane.

So, is it a case of re-educating myself, to hold the wheel lightly and only exert control if I feel that the lane assist is not doing what it should?   Far from this being a safety feature, I believe that it demands another level of diligence in controlling the car.

[philip42h]

9 minutes ago, Haliotis said:

So, is it a case of re-educating myself, to hold the wheel lightly and only exert control if I feel that the lane assist is not doing what it should?   Far from this being a safety feature, I believe that it demands another level of diligence in controlling the car.

Anything that asks more diligence of the driver must surely be regarded as a safety feature? 🙂

On a 2020 RAV4, LTA is by default 'off'. Like you I generally don't like it so I leave it off unless I really want to use it on a motorway and such like. It can be a bit of a pain on country roads.

On my wife's 2021 C-HR, LTA is by default 'on'. She has simply got used to it - I wouldn't dare say 're-educated' herself.

But in either case there is a button on the steering wheel to toggle between on and off - if you don't like what it is doing, just press the button. 😉

[Haliotis]

Philip said, “Anything that asks more diligence of a driver must surely be regarded as a safety feature”.

There is a grey area to this - how does one evaluate a driver’s diligence as being at its peak by introducing more actions for a driver to perform?  There has to come a point when “overload” becomes an issue.   Agreed, I can turn the LTA ‘off’, as many drivers do but, in this instance, I engaged it to try the experiment that I mentioned.  As it happens, I do think that LTA can be useful on such things as motorways, providing that the driver applies due care as he/she would if the car did not have LTA.  My “re-educating” comment relates to the need to hold the steering wheel loosely and to be prepared to take action if the system seems not to be behaving correctly.  This procedure is needed to avoid a constant battle with the LTA.  If LTA should become a “permanently-on” feature, and a driver doesn’t adjust his/her ability to embrace LTA, then this detracts from it being a positive safety feature.

[Roy124]

From the title I immediately thought 'indicators' as many avoid their distraction.

As for lane keeping assist this has its uses PROVIDED the lanes are well defined.   Rather than try and steer and do something else- sneeze, change media channels,  whatever- let go of the steering wheel completely. 

I found the car will self steer for about 15 seconds before the warning appears and shut steering assist off in a further 10 or so.

Before you all jump on me, tell me you have never been distracted for a moment and drifted off the line.

[Haliotis]

“Provided the lanes are well defined”.     My MFD shows two parallel lines, and these are present when there is no marked lines on the road, and there are only spaced reflective studs marking the lanes/centre of road.  I have assumed that these studs are not detected by the car’s technology, and that only marked white lines are detected.  This does cause me to wonder what the car’s response is, where there are marked lines, but a line becomes replaced by spaced studs when approaching a layby?

Following my aforementioned “experiment”, at night I will probably use the Lane Assist feature, but stay alert as if it wasn’t in operation.   AS I become more accustomed to the car, I will use certain features where I find them useful, and cancel/ignore those that I don’t like.  I am, basically, an “old school” driver who is more familiar with cars that only have features which are driver-activated - and I  drive the car, the car does not drive me.

[Roy124]

The lane tracking will use a well defined grass verge though that is not the sort of road you would want assistance.

It will generally give you departure warning if you cross the centre line.

Even on normally well defined dual carriageways it has problems at night or in rain.  With snow forget it.

 

[Roker]

8 hours ago, Haliotis said:

“Provided the lanes are well defined”.     My MFD shows two parallel lines, and these are present when there is no marked lines on the road, and there are only spaced reflective studs marking the lanes/centre of road.  I have assumed that these studs are not detected by the car’s technology, and that only marked white lines are detected.  This does cause me to wonder what the car’s response is, where there are marked lines, but a line becomes replaced by spaced studs when approaching a layby?

Following my aforementioned “experiment”, at night I will probably use the Lane Assist feature, but stay alert as if it wasn’t in operation.   AS I become more accustomed to the car, I will use certain features where I find them useful, and cancel/ignore those that I don’t like.  I am, basically, an “old school” driver who is more familiar with cars that only have features which are driver-activated - and I  drive the car, the car does not drive me.

I find the lane tracking very unreliable on country road, I often cross the white centre line for tractors etc with no response from the system

[dannyboy413]

18 minutes ago, Roker said:

I find the lane tracking very unreliable on country road, I often cross the white centre line for tractors etc with no response from the system

The 'white line painters' must get paid more in your part of Ireland than mine. It is surprising how often I come across a decent white line for about half a mile, then none for another half a mile, then virtually worn away for another half mile ......... and so it goes on!😄

[Roker]

24 minutes ago, dannyboy413 said:

The 'white line painters' must get paid more in your part of Ireland than mine. It is surprising how often I come across a decent white line for about half a mile, then none for another half a mile, then virtually worn away for another half mile ......... and so it goes on!😄

We need a pothole detector for Ireland roads

[dannyboy413]

4 minutes ago, Roker said:

We need a pothole detector for Ireland roads

I thought that's what cars are for 🙂

[Haliotis]

As more driver aids become commonplace and, if they are installed so that they cannot be disabled and, if road signage and road paint are to be critical for these aids to work properly, then local authorities will have to get their acts together to ensure the upkeep of signs and road paint.  These signs/road paint will also need to be to an industry standard - not to suit the imaginations of individual council bosses.  Also, left over temporary signage from long completed roadworks will have to removed - not left to rot on verges as now frequently happens.   Already, marked lanes at traffic islands, where drivers are expected to follow those lanes, are in many cases wearing into very faint smudges that offer no help whatsoever.

in short, authorities will have carry out their share of the responsibility, instead of the current practice of leaving it all to the drivers to operate with dilapidated signage/road markings.

[Big_D]

In my opinion, more and more driver aids are being added to our cars. I think this is to introduce us to self driving cars.

[Roy124]

32 minutes ago, Big_D said:

In my opinion, more and more driver aids are being added to our cars. I think this is to introduce us to self driving cars.

With manual reversion😆

As an aside,  I used to use a Garmin Satnav.  I fitted it to a hire car in Lanzarote.  At the B&B I set the position and on returning from a trip we were duly instructed to turn left down a short track then turn right "you have reached your destination".

It was spot on direct to our parking spot everytime. Oh, and good roads,  no potholes,  and clear road markings.  Cross a solid white line and pay the penalty. 

[Haliotis]

6 hours ago, Big_D said:

In my opinion, more and more driver aids are being added to our cars. I think this is to introduce us to self driving cars.

I think that is a very good observation - destroy common sense by more indoctrination.   Personally, I would never want a self-driving car, and would not feel happy by being carried in one where the “driver-in-charge sat back and allowed the card to ‘do it’s own thing!’    Despite advances in technology and all the sophisticated Quality Assurance procedures,  like any automated machine things can, and sometimes will, go wrong.  And, as the spread of these vehicles becomes more common,  the possibility of disaster increases.

Our daughter has a BMW X3 and, when I told her I hadn’t tried the self-park feature on my C-HR, she said she did once attempt to try hers, but as soon as the steering wheel started to rotate by itself she “chickened out” and cancelled the manoeuvre.

[Roy124]

2 hours ago, Haliotis said:

Our daughter has a BMW X3 and, when I told her I hadn’t tried the self-park feature on my C-HR, she said she did once attempt to try hers, but as soon as the steering wheel started to rotate by itself she “chickened out” and cancelled the manoeuvre.

I used that feature on my Corolla just 3 times. 

The first in the dealers car park.  When another car loomed large in the mirror I chickened out.

The next was in a doctor's surgery.  It did the reverse parking perfectly. 

Several times it failed to find a slot, then one night, pitch dark, I was more confidential its ability to see and it managed parallel parking perfectly. 

Now I never time the manoeuvre, manual or automatic,  but I just feel the self parking is slower than if I do it myself.   That said, with the Yaris Cross I often fail to drive nose in, first time, in a supermarket car park.

[Big_D]

I've used the self park feature a few times. I tend  to forget it's there. I'm also a big boy now, I can colour inside the lines, and can also park my own car 😁