It’s funny you should say that, CSA. It is unseasonably warm where I live right now.
I would like to see “Back-Seat-Driver-Mode”, an in dash speaking computer monitor, to remind you of all the things you are doing wrong as you drive, until you do them right. For guys, it should be a woman’s voice and for the ladies, it should be a man’s voice. I’m sure it would easily become standard and a “must have” option : )
This is the reason I sometimes prefer the motorbike,… don’t need a lot of “technology” to enjoy it.
I would suggest that free-firing, road raging maniacs are much less common than accidents caused by people on cell phones, or inattentive drivers in general. You bring up a good point about passengers needing to use a cell phone. I would like to see stricter enforcement of people on cell phones, a la cameras akin to speed cameras and red light cameras. Or else, if a driver was on a cell phone and then involved in an accident, then they should be charged with reckless driving. The military’s UCMJ has a similar provision for driving under the influence. If a service member is involved in an accident and has even the slightest trace of alcohol in his or her system, it’s chargable as driving while impaired.
Maybe free-firing, road raging maniacs are not common where you live, but in South Florida and the Baltimore area, they are a daily occurrence. However, what about other similar scenarios? Suppose you and your brother in law are driving your pregnant wife to the hospital? Wouldn’t it be nice to have your brother in law call ahead to let the hospital staff know you are on the way? What happens if you pull over to help some kid who rolled his SUV? You might not be able to call for help if there are cars passing by with their cell phone jammers engaged.
I hate to see people talking on their cell phones while they drive as much as anybody, but this is a bad idea. None of the people who have suggested this idea have thought through the repercussions.
All cars, trucks, trailers,buses should have amber rear turn signas like the rest of the world. Here in the US amber rear turn signals are treated like a “styling” feature not like the safety improvement that it is. It helps to differentiate between a stopping vehicle and one that is about to turn.
All vehicles should have side direction indicators as well. At least the third center mounted brake light should be LED.
All this would not have any significant cost. Most small inexpensive economy cars have at least some of the above. Too many cars have had the amber rear turn signals and dropped them for their “new improved” model. They just look cheap.
Fantasy Technology:
How about this: If the driver does not put on a turn signal, the vehicle cannot make a turn.
(Sorry. Just a reaction to driving in Baltimore traffic, where almost no one uses a turn signal.)
Uh,rather extreme ,wouldnt you think?-Kevin
If the driver has no seatbelt on, the car will not move.
I have one of those. Her name is Joan.
A daily occurrence? I challenge you to back that up with facts and figures. I took a cursory glance at NTSB stats, but they don’t seem to report daily road rage shootings. Billions of babies have been born without the benefit of a call-ahead to the hospital. And how is calling ahead going to make a difference? They’re solid pros at the hospital who have delivered babies before. The bottom line is, cell phones just shouldn’t ever be used by the driver while underway. You can build any ‘what if’ scenario you want. If drivers can’t hang up and drive, then maybe technology can force them to.
That reminds me of when I was in a parking lot in Giessen, Germany. A young lady couldn’t get her keyless remote to work. I offered to help and used her key to unlock the door. She didn’t even know it was possible to use the key. Our kids will never own a record, never know that Johnny Carson hosted the Tonight Show and never use a key to unlock a car door.
Whitey, you seem to have a great fear of road raging maniacs. If one is not talking on a cell phone, then they can pay full attention to the road and driving and thus avoid such encounters. I once encountered a road-raging maniac on I-80 in Sacramento many moons ago, before cell phones were in wide use, in fact. I had a hot rod car and he wanted to race. I didn’t. At least not on I-80. That enraged him. I had to focus on driving. If I were fumbling with a cell phone, I wouldn’t have been able to evade him. No, drivers just shouldn’t talk on cell phones. Passengers, okay. But drivers, never.
Whitey, It’s Been Unusually Cold where I Live. We Had Record Cold During The Winter, Spring, And Summer. Our Highs Can’t Get Out Of The 40s, Now. It’s Supposed To Snow Again, Today!
I live near the 45th parallel, but this weather has been ridiculous. I nearly froze playing golf, yesterday, but we had the course to ourselves.
CSA
HID headlights. I would have liked to have those on my 2007 Versa, but it was not an option. 
A “black box” that records the settings of headlights, etc would be a nice addition. I was once involved in a collision on a back country highway in the middle of the night. The idiot who pulled out in front of me had the nerve to say my headlights were not on. Things like this would help rule out those sorts of claims!
I have that on my Nissan Versa. However, the problem is it doesn’t tell you which tire is low, nor how low it is. It’s just another “idiot light.”
They tried this, sort of, in the 1970s. One or two model years of cars would not start if the seat belts weren’t buckled. The weight sensor in the passenger seats would usually keep a car from starting if you put your briefcase there. It was a pain in the butt and the law/regulation was quickly changed. Was this 1974 models? Does anyone remember?
I’d be for banning HIDs unless the regulations regarding aim are changed. As things stand, HIDs are a very real safety DISadvantage for everyone who is not in the car that has them. So you can see better; great. I, meanwhile, am being blinded by glare, and for the next five minutes will have pink spots floating in front of my eyes, because the idiotic 1940s specifications for headlamp aim allow FAR too much glare, and HIDs are the worst type of headlights bar none for casting glare into the eyes of oncoming drivers.
The primary purpose of headlamps in low-beam mode is to make it possible for other drivers to see you. High-beams are for seeing, but low-beams are for being seen - and I have yet to see HIDs which are as glare-free in low-beam mode as my headlamps are in high-beam.
I couldn’t agree more. I’ll state right now that no vehicle I buy will have red turn signals.
The fact that it’s actually allowable to use the brake lights as turn signals is horrific.
It was about 1974; this was legislated because car manufacturers did not want the expense of airbags. The “passive” restraint turned out to be not so passive. It was legislators themselves who most objected to these belts, as well as dog owners (dog had be strapped in), people who put parcels on the passenger seat, etc.
Altogether a nutty idea to protect people from themselves.