Need to Dumb Down Cars’ Smart Tech?

Some drivers are openly wishing their auto’s smart technology was a “bit dumber” & some of the advancements are starting to “drive them nuts.” Yeah, but I would never give up my “blind spot warning light” or “back up camera.”

The WSJ recently related an assembly line of complaints about new technologies that can fail. Among them: Door handles that used to be oh so simple to open. As the article notes, “Automakers have added new tech features in the 2020s that go beyond the touch screens, assisted-driving systems and companion phone apps that have become ubiquitous in new cars. Some vehicles [now] come with infrared night vision, seasonal ambient lighting and interior ‘fam cams’ showing rear passengers.” Of course, the Tesla “security cameras” have made the headlines in helping to nab vandals.

Yet, apparently many drivers are saying it’s too much. According to surveys of new car buyers by marketing research firm, Strategic Vision, say the percentage of those having positive feelings about the intuitiveness of their car’s controls fell from 79% in 2015 to 56% in 2024. That’s not to say drivers aren’t still happy overall with their auto’s tech features, just that they want the offerings easier to use and less prone to blow outs. Take remote start chargers for EVs using its phone app. Please. Or sensor-equipped door handles that have a tendency to freeze in the cold climates. I’d vote for technology that is an “actual help in driving safely,” hence my love affair with the latest back up cameras and blind spot warning lights. Now THAT’s a smart innovative thought we all can live with!

Davd Soul