MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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My new Focus will have something called Active City Stop. At speeds up to 20mph it detects via radar if I am likely to hit the car in front and stops me automatically if it thinks I will do.
I would love to know if it works but I have this horrible feeling that it will go wrong, badly.
So how would you test it? Comedy answers welcome!
Cardboard box?
drive towards wall very slowely .......stop before you hit it if the car doesn't stop you first
this is how top gear tested it .....
I believe it was the skodas that didn't work and knocked down the wall.... they didn't do the last part on the above:D
Does it work on pedestrians too? They'll do less damage to you car if it doesn't work. Best try that first.
Run into something like an inflatable.
That's how they do it on car shows. You must have something life size and inflatable surely 🙂
+ video cameracardboard box
Drive it into a guy on a bike. If it goes wrong you can always say you were testing the car.
drive towards wall very slowely .......stop before you hit it if the car doesn't stop you firstthis is how top gear tested it .....
Top Gear did that in the garden centre just down the road from my house when they had the Tiguan and another 'soft roader', until James carried too much speed and just smashed into Clarkson's car. Very amusing, if staged.
I'd definitely go for the "creep toward wall at <5mph" approach, I'd hope it'll stop you more than a couple of inches away - should give you time to intervene if you don't trust it!
I still have a nagging feeling that I could even get driving into an inflatable thing wrong...........
Cool. Now cars can avoid stuff for us, can I use my phone whilst driving again?
No reason why not....
Press a button and the tow bar magically appears ready for use too!!
I wasn't bothered about the auto stop thing but if you order the heated windscreen (which you HAVE to on a Ford, its awesome) they come together as a package because the radar is in the windscreen.
PP - I'll be able to use my phone as it has one of those Ford Sync things that is wireless Bluetooth audio and reads our your texts too! And is a digital radio.
AWSUMS.
Definitely video it 🙂
[i]Now cars can avoid stuff for us, can I use my phone whilst driving again?[/i]
It certainly sounds perfect for watching telly on 4G whilst crawling along in traffic jams 🙂
Cool. I'll send you loads of texts with long, obtuse words in them and see how it gets on with those.
Or just loads of swear words!
I've got a volvo with the city safety. The other half tested it out a few weeks ago by looking in a shop window whilst driving. Luckily it worked, stopped about an inch from the car in front. Recons she nearly sh*t herself!
Cool. I'll send you loads of texts with long, obtuse words in them and see how it gets on with those.
You'll just send them with things like "beefle" "parpity parp" "squeeefly breeeee" in them.
Yes, naturally. Duhh.
On a Ford, you'll have the switch on/off parking sensor button?
Switch that on when you test! It gives you about 30cm when the beep becomes constant.
I have ordered rear parking sensors, don't think so at the front.
Just thought of another idea - visit your local rugby club. Get a friend to drive the car towards you while you're holding some tackle pads as protection 🙂
[edit]Oh, mines got front and rear. Front only comes on if you've reversed first, or you push the button. I hit my mate's car the other day parking close behind him. City Stop would've prevented that!
Why do you need to know if it works or not? You wont' be relying on it, will you?
:rolls eyes:
Of course he will. What's the point of having a gadget that never gets used? I regally crash into stuff to test my airbags.
I regally crash into stuff
Oooh get you, crashing like the Queen 🙂
[i]Cardboard box? [/i]
careful, it could be a childs face;
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I have it on my Volvo and it "works".
Its applied the brakes twice now but regularly warns me if it thinks I'm going to crash (the next phase is the automatic braking).
Warnings can range from "scary" manhole covers in the road, to parked cars on road bends, to road islands in the middle of the road, to "I don't know why".
All in all a good device.
I have it on a volvo too. It's awful. It usually stops me short ****ting my head into the window sill (leaning forward to get pass out of pocket) when I'm coming up to my office carpark barrier. It's never been useful in traffic.
The "you're going to hit something when moving quickly" warning goes off at random times so I ignore it.
All in all, meh.