I think Lee’s point is that default settings are decided by the engineers and designers with no option to opt out. For what I paid for my new car, I should have the ability to set my own defaults rather than have to live with someone else’s idea about what I need or want.
I agree. Computers (and phones) have had preference (or settings) controls for many years. This has never caught on in cars, with some few exceptions.
For example, my Passat supposedly had an option to turn off the auto door locking feature, but when I asked the dealer about it, they said it was not possible.
Yep, I agree. Unfortunately, there are many instances where the option was made available, the user knowingly selected it, a bad thing happened, lawyers exploited the situation and the manufacturer bears the brunt of it. So, the default position is; no option.
“My poor client doesn’t know the risk. This is something the experts making the car should realize. And yet they callously allowed my client to defeat this critical safety feature which ultimately led to his/her injury (and we need to be compensated)”.
You can say it’s your choice until blue in the face. But when you’re injured and some lawyer comes along and says we can go after them for this and make them pay- most people jump on the bandwagon… you or I may not but that doesn’t matter. It only takes a few (or even one) to affect the manufacturer’s tolerance for this risk…
Once again similar to flying. Although you don’t have to deal with oncoming traffic only a few feet away you still change radio and transponder frequencies before you enter congested controlled airspace.
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A few years ago I tried MS Word voice recognition typing. Set-up required reading a few sentences so it would recognize only your voice. It was still terrible. I discovered that singing to it did offer entertainment. It would create a completely alien language.
I re-named Dragon “drag-on” due to the length of their boring commercials.
I have a “smarter than me” phone. I have no hope of mastering it. I can make and receive calls. I thought that was what a phone was for.
My 2010 Kia Forte unlocks the doors when I turn the ignition off. It automatically locks the doors when I reach 10 to 12 mph. It’s quirk is that you cannot lock the doors with the key in the ignition. If the car is covered in freezing rain I start it and turn on all defrosters. When I have finished a cup of coffee it is ready to drive. Fortunately I live in a zero crime neighborhood.
Having to crawl out the window because the door unlock button is not lighted? Just use the inside door handle!!!