To hate that the car decides how to drive?

[Pouffeycat]

I got a new car last month. I have been driving to work and back and not much more. But I have noticed that the steering has been pulling at certain points. I thought maybe it wasn't aligned properly...
It pings at me if I am not in the centre of a marked lane.
Last night it slammed the brakes on when something ran over the road in the dark.
I live rurally.
I don't like not being in charge of the car.
I have been driving for 30 years and have never had any accidents.
I feel unsafe in this thing.
If someone had been behind me last night in a non smug car,there would have been an accident. I wasn't being safe, because the car took over!
Looking online it seems they make it hard to turn the systems off.
Am I just a dinosaur that needs to get with the technology?

Yes, exactly that.

My old car did this with the stop start, would cut out before I was fully stopped!

It’s a big roundabout with good visibility on the approach in a 40mph limit. At 6am when there’s nobody else about I’m taking it at 40!

I was under the impression that if I was indicating to overtake, the lane assist does not activate? I hope so as otherwise I might disable it.

I have these features on my work car. It’s a Kia. I can’t stand them either so turn them off as I find them more distracting than just driving properly in the first place. But it is incredibly easy to turn them off. Just a single press of a button for the lane assist and the automatic braking only happens in cruise control. Have a good look at the manual and I’m sure you’ll get used to it in no time.

I have these features on my work car. It’s a Kia. I can’t stand them either so turn them off as I find them more distracting than just driving properly in the first place

If you are driving properly the assist features don't kick in though.

It’s a big roundabout with good visibility on the approach in a 40mph limit. At 6am when there’s nobody else about I’m taking it at 40!

Fair enough. If you just indicate the lane assist wouldn't activate when you cross the white lines.

I was under the impression that if I was indicating to overtake, the lane assist does not activate? I hope so as otherwise I might disable it.

You are correct.

That sounds positively dangerous.

I'd have to turn it off if I had it. I do most of my driving on rural roads, which are in an appalling state. I'm forever pulling out to avoid the massive potholes that are everywhere, but mostly on the nearside of the carriageway.

@LakieLady

That sounds positively dangerous.

The only dangerous thing is the driver not using their indicator, which would prevent the lane assist from activating whilst passing the cyclist.

If people juts drive their cars properly safety systems would not be a problem.

It’s easy to see from this thread that my theory that people have given up indicating is correct. I’m fanatical about indicating, possibly to the point where I do it when it’s unnecessary, my lane assist has never activated. The one time the auto braking kicked in I was immensely grateful.

I'd have to turn it off if I had it. I do most of my driving on rural roads, which are in an appalling state. I'm forever pulling out to avoid the massive potholes that are everywhere, but mostly on the nearside of the carriageway.

As has been pointed out, if you indicate when you are supposed to, you are unlikely to have a problem.

In my experience, it doesn’t actually work very well unless there is a white line for it to see. Particularly rural roads where there are no white lines and little contrast between the road and the verge.

I agree and don't like the ones that 'buzz' and pull the wheel. Is it a new Lexus or Toyota? If so unfortunately they're set to be on every time you start the car and you have to manually turn it off each time you drive it (I suppose that's for safety). I don't know if that's all models but it was on an Auris and a GR Yaris (which definitely isn't a car you want to drive for it's safety features ha ha) Other models it stays off once it has been turned off, it did on my newer Ford Kuga.

I would search on YouTube, there are loads of videos to help you find where in the menu the settings are that you need.

All that stuff can be switched off. It's tech for the sake of tech. It's now cheaper to build cars with all gizmos than without.. a bit like all other devices nowadays.
The emergency braking thing is a particular pain in the arse as it will stop the car too quickly potentially leading to a rear end shunt. It's a particular nuisance in slow moving traffic or queuing traffic. It won't let you pull right up to the car in front to make more space for others behind.

I absolutely hated Lane assist. It was on a hire car I had for almost 3 months. The motorway that I used regularly had roadworks on and the lane assist would keep trying to steer me to the original white lines rather than the cats eye marked lanes.

When overtaking there is no requirement to indicate left as the Highway Code dictates one should return to Lane 1 asap. It's compulsory. So no indication required. But Lane Assist will resist you unless you do indicate.
Switch it off..

When overtaking there is no requirement to indicate left as the Highway Code dictates one should return to Lane 1 asap. It's compulsory. So no indication required. But Lane Assist will resist you unless you do indicate.

Right, but when you pull out to the right you do need to indicate so for all the people who are saying it drags them back they clearly are not indicating at all.

Also, you don't have to indicate to pull left but if you do then the lane assist will know what you are doing

That's a situation where it is better to switch it off.

I have an all singing, all dancing car. I love most of the features except for the bloody lane assist. I’ve turned it off as on the rare occasion it kicked in it frightened the shit out of me. It was like someone was pulling the steering wheel. Your user manual will tell you how to disable it.

I didn't know that, only ever having old cars! In that case, I take back what I said.

I'm an obsessive indicator, even on totally empty roads, so I probably wouldn't find it annoying.

Mind you, I don't even like autos, I like to feel I'm driving my car, not like it's driving me.

Also, you don't have to indicate to pull left but if you do then the lane assist will know what you are doing

And, given that despite it being compulsory, not everybody returns to the left hand lane after overtaking, it means everybody else will know what you are doing too.

You miss the point. The lane assist needs the indicator, it doesn't matter that anyone else knows your intent.

Oh hahaha I totally misread that

I hear you OP. Currently spending ££££ keeping a 18 year old sports car and a 12 year old SUV on the road because they actually let me drive.

I don’t even want an automatic. I don’t use auto lights or wipers. Don’t want cameras, park assist, lane assist, brake assist, blind spot assist, you are this far from the moon assist. I refused to drive DH’s car when it muted the radio when I put it in reverse. Fucks sake.

I want the money spent on the engine and the fabric of the car, not twattery. First question to any car dealer is “do I have to have all of the safety equipment?” If yes then “how do I turn it ALL off?”.

Going to end up building my own at this rate. DH is researching most hackable systems so that he can code them out.

That’s worth knowing and explains why it only happened that time (i’d not had the car long but turned it off after that), I admit due to the empty roads I didn’t indicate. Might turn it back on and try again.