Parking sensors

And? My parking sensors detect objects to the side. A sensor on a HGV designed to detect cyclists needs to be able to detect objects to the side.

Not on an artic it isn't.

You want to try driving a Meriva round a roundabout. Actually that's not true, you really don't want to.

I think the clue is in the title - Parking Sensor, not Driving Sensor. I would hazard a guess it's about being able to make maximum use of a car parking space in a particularly large car where you can't actually see the front of the car. Although that judgement does come with experience.

Doesn't matter. Same applies.

Its still a low speed precision manouvre regardless of what you're doing.

Conor formulated the question :

No straw grasping.

From the driving seat of most modern cars dues to their design, you see none or little of your car forward of the top of the dash/lower edge of the windscreen. So you are left to guess how far the bonnet and bumper stretch out in front of you.

Similarly and depending upon the rear end (or front) of the vehicle you are parking your nose to, as you approach it you loose visual contact with its nearest extremity. Keeping in mind that the top of my head is only around 2" from the head lining, there is not much I can do to improve my view forward, so the best I can do is use my judgement and guess how much space is left - I can see none of my bonnet. Obviously, vehicles which are regularly shaped like the rear of a van, make driving right up to them much easier assuming you are accustomed to where the front of your own car ends.

When windscreens were more vertical and ends of bonnets visible from the driving seat, it was much easier.

Conor submitted this idea :

What I said was that it would pick it up, but loose 'sight' of it as it got nearer.

Exactly right. Making good use of the sensors, I can put my large car safely into a space, which drivers of smaller cars would drive past.

It does, but you still have to allow a little extra space for your judgement being wrong. That is not necessary with sensors fitted, because I can use all of the space to maneuver in.

..and anything which helps that precision is worthwhile. I often see the faces of onlookers cringe out of the corner of my eye, as I park and stop so close to other cars, whilst manouvering in and out of spaces. It is especially fun if the car behind me happens to be occupied lol

Conor has brought this to us :

Yes.

It picks up my shelving in the garage and fences if I'm close to them. The distance indicated will vary up and down as I move in reverse. Whereas for a genuine object to the rear, the reading will only decreases as I reverse.

I don't >need< them, I managed perfectly well without them for very many years and I could still manage without them. I also managed perfectly well without climate control, electric memory seats, remote control locking and etc. - I have them and I make good use of them.

Conor presented the following explanation :

A little further I agree, but not way beyond unless a SAAB or Volvo. However bonnet angles did not slope down so steeply so you had a better reference point, further forward, from which to be able to judge where the end of your car actually ended.

No it doesn't The idea of parking, quite often, means you're trying to get into a confined space or needing to make maximum use of space and needing to be very careful not to hit something like a towbar or another bumper that you can't see when you're on top of it.

Sure with experience comes the knowledge of the full length of the car. This is either achieved through trial and error :-) or ultra cautiousness.

A sensor is merely a "cheat" if you like and saves a great deal of time.

Now you can't compare it with driving. When driving, the aim shouldn't be driving through a confined space two inches of someones bumper. You generally leave a large enough gap than sensors are irrelevent.

So, you're wrong. The same does not apply.

You said it yourself. Precision.

Driving isn't necessarily about precision. Keeping safe, for sure, but I don't think you need to keep within invisible tracks that are one inch wider or longer than your car!

Isn't there a danger though that we've stopped thinking? With sensors, we become lazy and stop thinking about the size of the vehicle and the positioning, we stop making mental notes and rely on electrical equipment which can go wrong?

Kind of like map reading vs gps! Somehow we still got where we were going before GPS.

(devils advocate here)

I can understand both sides of the argument, but I think sensors in extreme circumstances would have to win for me. But that's got to be the key. Extreme circumstances.

Cya Simon

Hang on. I remember old cars. You could actually see over the bonnet. You could see the front lip which fell down at a virtual 90 degree angle give maybe a couple of inches for the bumper, not a problem. At least you could see the front of the bonnet.

Ford Granada/Scorpio, Mondeo I think, even my little Nissan, all you see is this big mound. in front and you have to mentally add on the next couple of feet.

The seating position generally doesn't have a commanding view of the edge of the bonnet. When driving, it's not a problem. You remember your driving lessons and leave visible road space. Slightly more difficult when you're trying to remember the last two feet and try to work out whether you saw a tow bar on the guys car when you're going to park.

The relevant issue is is it more reliable than the mental bit.

But driving into the back of the car in front whilst reading an A-Z was hardly unknown.

Hopefully of at least 15' per 10mph, which makes the length of the bonnet irrelevant. Although presumably Conor can drive 24" away from the vehicle in front at 56mph.

Simon Dean gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Not at all "devil's advocate". You're bang on the money.

In message , Duncan Wood writes

Not all truckies are like that. :-) I was driving two mates from home to Matlock some years ago, both were HGV drivers. On a short stretch of dual carriageway I overtook several vehicles in succession, then had to brake firmly and pull in rather close behind a light lorry, when the road became single carriageway.

There was a brief silence and then Reg said in a deadpan voice: "You nearly ran out of bonnet then, Lad"...

Simon Dean expressed precisely :

We did, but on a complex route it takes all of the stress out of it and mine at least, usually takes me right to the door.

I make good use of the GPS several times each day. When I'm driving the car with sensors, I make good use of those sensors. I don't really absolutely on them, they are just a piece of equipment to make my life that bit easier.

In message , Harry Bloomfield writes

I use SatNav, for the same reason, takes the navigation over and let's me concentrate on the traffic. It's at its most useful when I've had to take a diversion, to get me back on track without looking at a map. I passed a white van man on a fast A road a couple of weeks ago with a map spread over his steering wheel at 60mph. :-(

I use a GPS when walking, partly for navigation and to record exactly where we walked, and to accurately measure the distance and total height gained.