BLIS - Really?

[r-designbob]

Originally Posted by Clan

me too , a 1964 model :-) great fun ...

Ditto, 1964 a "B" reg.
What a lump of jelly the gear-shift was though.

[DesertDog]

Originally Posted by simonjedrake

There must be a common theme here - my 1st car was a 1965 Hillman Imp Chamois.........no wonder we all drive Volvo's now

Me too....a 1967 model. I don't remember much except it was whiteish in colour and had rotten wheel arches

[scotgc]

Whilst there is no doubt that features such as BLIS may prevent collisions I am kind of sceptical. Observance of the highway code would in my opinion be the best way to avoid a driving incident. I would concede that humans do make mistakes from time to time and that these devices may be useful under these circumstances. There is also an opinion that the more safety devices we cram into our cars the more reckless we will drive.

I've got BLIS so I dont need to look, the airbags will save me if I crash, ABS will kick in so I can go faster, CS will stop me hitting the car in front so I can text safely.............

How about removing all of these safety devices and placing a big metal spike in the middle of the steering wheel, would that make people drive safer? The issues that I notice on a day to day driving experience are:

Drivers going too fast for the road and conditions.
Drivers driving without due care and attention.
Drivers driving outwith the highway code.
Drivers breaking the law.

The motorway cops often get a hard time of it but I often wish I was one when I see how many so called drivers behave.

BTW I had a Mk 2 Cortina 1600Gt for my first car and I will always cherish the memory.

[XC60MY12]

Originally Posted by scotgc

I've got BLIS so I dont need to look, the airbags will save me if I crash, ABS will kick in so I can go faster, CS will stop me hitting the car in front so I can text safely.............

"Always look on the bright side of life...". Nothing, repeat nothing, will compensate for stupidity. Big metal spike? Great idea Let's design cars based on the abilities of the knuckle-draggers. Sure people do stupid things but the answer to that is education or, in extreme cases, the law. A better idea would be a follow-up test at regular intervals, bit like an MOT for drivers. Expensive? Yes but could save lives.

[birger]

OK - so say you are an excellent driver. Always alert, always careful and very observant. You always follow the rules and you never exceed the speed limit. Your vision is perfect.

Because you are a careful driver, you have invested in a new XC60 with all these new and modern safety gadgets.

One evening you are driving with your wife in the front passenger seat and perhaps your grandchildren in the back seat, all properly wearing seat belts. You are driving along a mountain slope and it is dark, so you are driving well below the speed limit.

You are an excellent driver.

Where did that fog come from? And what’s that terrible sound? The ground shakes! It’s feeling like you are in a slow motion movie. It takes about one second, perhaps one and a half second before you begin moving your right foot from the accelerator towards the brake pedal. You can’t see a thing due to the sudden dense fog! Does the car brake all by itself?? You don’t know and you don’t have time to think about it - your foot has now reached the pedal. By the time your foot starts pressing the pedal, the XC60 brakes has anyway been pre-armed and your car is now braking with 100 percent of it braking force. You hear the modern ABS system working as your new XC60 hits the first rock of the still progressing 100 ton rock avalanche.

The crash speed was low but the front of your XC60 is not beautiful anymore.

Perhaps some of the safety gadgets helped stopping the car, or perhaps not. But you are anyway glad that your car had pre-charging brakes and Auto Brake. The local newspaper never mentioned any details. But they took some pictures:
http://tb.no/polopoly_fs/steinras-ho...2631379677.jpg

(Sorry for any typos - English is not my first language)

[birger]

More pictures here: http://www.xtremfoto.no/Ulykke_Ras_H...d_19_07_11.htm

[dmcj]

Excellent write up as well as thought provoking. You captured well one of the many safety features that bring many of us to owning a Volvo.

Thanks for sharing.

[darbs]

birger, you know how to make a point don't you! you've written that very well, so i wouldn't worry one second about your English. many, many thx for sharing.

i guess safety devices which we don't actively depend on are always going to be beneficial.

i think the point with BLIS, is that it can easily be actively depended upon instead of a manual check. this is unlike pre-armed brakes, ABS, CS etc, which you don't actively "use", they are just there to help in emergency situations.

the danger with BLIS for a driver like me (i'm not talking about everyone, or even most people), is that it would make me dependant on it, and one time i depended on it, instead of using best practice, it would fail me - and the person i hit.

[Abarth]

Couldnt have said it better myself Darbs

[scotgc]

Originally Posted by scotgc

How about removing all of these safety devices and placing a big metal spike in the middle of the steering wheel, would that make people drive safer?

Erm, don't take this sentence too literally chaps / ladies, it was only meant to emphasise a point!