What’s with all the computer assisted bullshidt? Parking? Close vehicles? If you aren’t in control of your faculties to drive, literally operate a vehicle without computer assisted crap, why the hell are you on the road?
It's not that simple. If people on the road never made mistakes, then there wouldn't be value to any of this, but people do make mistakes, even people that are in control of all their faculties and that are highly trained and skillful. Because we're not actually perfect, it's just a matter of time. It's been well demonstrated that the computers are not perfect but they're closer than most people. Using computers to assist people is the sensible solution given the present technology. It's done nearly universally in commercial aviation. It's also proven to be effective for automobiles, as I cited above in the IIHS study that showed an average 36% reduction in bodily-injury only claims. Not only does this technology protect the occupants of the vehicle equipped with it, but it can also protect people in other vehicles from a mistake the driver of an equipped vehicle might make.
While I can appreciate the 'purity' of operating a vehicle without computer assistance including ABS or an automatic transmission or even electronic fuel injection, I recognize this is a personal preference that isn't shared by everyone. Not everyone has the same skill levels or experience. I have an elderly parent (80's) that's not incompentent to drive. In fact, he's been driving since he was 13 when he would regularly drive the jeep on the farm by himself. 70 years of driving and he's never been in a single collision, not even a fender bender. He lived most his life in an urban area too with a heavy commute. He recognizes he's not as sharp as he was and wants these driver aides so he got a car with them (not a Subaru). Seems pretty sensible to me and telling him he can't drive anymore would not be as rational. My wife benefits from them too. She simply has little driving experience -- almost 20 years less than I do and we're the same age. She's never driven a commute so she only ever drives irregularly. She has been highly trained, but does not practice regularly. She's also never been in a collision of any kind. Even so, driver aides are a rational solution for her. Then there's my teen sons. If they drive anything like I did, they'll need this stuff and then some until they're at least 25.
Personally, I share your disdain for this tech. I don't have a commute and I drive mostly for pleasure. I prefer to drive myself. But I do see the value of it. I suppose the same will be accounted to fully-computer driven cars as well. No doubt many will find them useful, but I decry the prospect that alternatives like the self-driven cars, that is the cars we drive ourselves, will be prohibited.
