Safety technology affecting safety performance?

[JHazaravis]

Hey drivers, I wanted to get your thoughts on safety technology in our trucks. With features like collision alerts, lane departure warnings, and in-cab monitoring becoming more common, I’m curious—how do these technologies impact your driving? Do they genuinely make you feel safer, or do they create any challenges on the road? Looking forward to hearing your experiences!

 

[Duck]

Lane departure warnings are annoying as hell. Having an alarm go off if you activate a turn signal while there's a vehicle beside you is also stupid.

I think drivers who are angry with idiot college boys who have never driven a truck tampering with their trucks are probably LESS safe.

Also, some trucks automatically decrease the cruise control and apply the brakes if you're catching up to a slower vehicle.

That's OK, but if you're driving in winter conditions with limited traction, only a human driver should be allowed to operate the brakes. There needs to be a way to disable it. And keep it disabled until you shut the key off.

Anything that removes control from the driver is a safety hazard, even if it's intended to do the opposite.

 

[krelithous]

can't forget speed limiters and ELD'S

 

[Electric Chicken]

Hey drivers, I wanted to get your thoughts on safety technology in our trucks. With features like collision alerts, lane departure warnings, and in-cab monitoring becoming more common, I’m curious—how do these technologies impact your driving? Do they genuinely make you feel safer, or do they create any challenges on the road? Looking forward to hearing your experiences!

I hated pretty much all of it, and am more at peace behind the wheel of my truck that has none of those things.

 

[avabella]

I hated pretty much all of it, and am more at peace behind the wheel of my truck that has none of those things.

I hear you. Tech can feel intrusive, especially if you're used to driving without it. But I’ve found that features like lane assist and collision alerts do help in busy city routes and long trips. It’s not for everyone, but for many, it adds peace of mind without taking away control. Just depends on what you're comfortable with behind the wheel.

 

[389 Hood]

If you need things like this, you shouldn't be behind the wheel.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I hear you. Tech can feel intrusive, especially if you're used to driving without it. But I’ve found that features like lane assist and collision alerts do help in busy city routes and long trips. It’s not for everyone, but for many, it adds peace of mind without taking away control. Just depends on what you're comfortable with behind the wheel.

Nope they suck. They don't help. There are usually ruts in the road that put the truck next to the line, and the lane buzzer goes off constantly.

It's nowhere near "peace of mind."

 

[krelithous]

i say junk it all anyone that need's all of this saftey bs don't belong behind the wheel of a semi or a 4 wheeler not even a big wheel !!! and it also enables idiots behind wheels to do stupid shit like play on there phones take there eyes off the roads!!!

 

[389 Hood]

i say junk it all anyone that need's all of this saftey bs don't belong behind the wheel of a semi or a 4 wheeler not even a big wheel !!! and it also enables idiots behind wheels to do stupid shit like play on there phones take there eyes off the roads!!!

Agreed. These damned touch screens don't promote safety. You have to look at them to know where to touch and then you may need to scroll through several screens to get to where you want to be. Total up the times you had to take your eyes off of the road look at the screen, then readjust your eyes back to the road.

That is why I like old cars and trucks. You just have to reach over and feel what you need. Buttons, switches, rocker switches, knobs, all are in a familiar place to you. It's time for things to return to that era and get rid of this tech BS for drivers/steering wheel holders.

 

[krelithous]

Agreed. These damned touch screens don't promote safety. You have to look at them to know where to touch and then you may need to scroll through several screens to get to where you want to be. Total up the times you had to take your eyes off of the road look at the screen, then readjust your eyes back to the road.

That is why I like old cars and trucks. You just have to reach over and feel what you need. Buttons, switches, rocker switches, knobs, all are in a familiar place to you. It's time for things to return to that era and get rid of this tech BS for drivers/steering wheel holders.

AGREE!!!

 

[Rigjockey]

Agreed. These damned touch screens don't promote safety. You have to look at them to know where to touch and then you may need to scroll through several screens to get to where you want to be. Total up the times you had to take your eyes off of the road look at the screen, then readjust your eyes back to the road.

That is why I like old cars and trucks. You just have to reach over and feel what you need. Buttons, switches, rocker switches, knobs, all are in a familiar place to you. It's time for things to return to that era and get rid of this tech BS for drivers/steering wheel holders.

Yes, give me 29 switches and gauges over any touch screen. Switches are just muscle memory, you know where to find them without even looking and gauges it just takes a quick glance.

 

[389 Hood]

I looked at dudes new 389 when he got it. Not a gauge on the dash. It's all screens and you scroll through them with a thumb wheel on the steering wheel. The steering wheel has so much crap on it you can't find a place to rest your hands on it without touching something that changes the dash.

I look at my Ford pick up dash and in a glance I see 6 gauges in one cluster. The Petes that I owned had 21 gauges all situated in clusters that you knew where to look for the most important ones. You could see them right between the steering wheel spokes. You know what position is normal in their operation. One section was engine info, another was drivetrain info and another contained air pressure, fuel, manifold pressure and other gauges that may become of importance when making a hard pull. It was so simple. Engineers just HATE simple.

 

[Duck]

Engineers just HATE simple.

They have to justify their paychecks I guess.

 

[389 Hood]

And while we need them, they don't have to make things so damned complicated.

Let a design engineer walk through the service bay of your local dealer with a display letting everyone know his position within the company. I don't think he'd get halfway past the 3rd bay before he had half the shop throwing wrenches at him. You don't build a car around an oil filter and make it to where you have to pull a body panel to get to it.

 

[Electric Chicken]

And while we need them, they don't have to make things so damned complicated.

Let a design engineer walk through the service bay of your local dealer with a display letting everyone know his position within the company. I don't think he'd get halfway past the 3rd bay before he had half the shop throwing wrenches at him. You don't build a car around an oil filter and make it to where you have to pull a body panel to get to it.

I briefly worked at Ingersoll Rand (now Volvo Construction Equipment) on the assembly line and a common complaint was that the engineers didn't have to assemble this stuff otherwise they wouldn't design it the way they did.

Pretty bad when it's a bitch to put together from scratch.

I don't remember if it was actually that bad. I was a temp so as soon as things got slow I was booted along with another guy on the line.

My dad's next door neighbor worked the early end of that same line and my mom's next door neighbor was the foreman on the same line.

They let me run the crane to drop the engine and I didn't realize the next door line had their crane in the same position at the time, so I crashed them together.

Probably best I don't work there.

In my defense, they didn't tell me to watch out because they're on the same gantry.

Two assembly line cranes sharing a gantry is stupid, IMHO.

Anyway this is what I helped build for like 3 weeks.

 

[389 Hood]

I may have fun with this one later. Too much for my smart ass to pass up commenting on. Right now, it's pool time. In about 2 hours, the rains will set in and cool it off.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I may have fun with this one later. Too much for my smart ass to pass up commenting on. Right now, it's pool time. In about 2 hours, the rains will set in and cool it off.

I hope we get swamped. I cut down some jungle around the house and want to see my gutters in action.

We got a little rain but it was all while I was working.

 

[389 Hood]

I hope we get swamped. I cut down some jungle around the house and want to see my gutters in action.

We got a little rain but it was all while I was working.

You should have sent it up to @Rigjockey . He loves working in the rain.

 

[WestRailServices]

Safety tech can definitely help, but it really depends on how it’s used. Features like collision alerts and lane warnings can be great backups, especially during long shifts or bad weather. They are not perfect, but they can catch things a tired driver might miss.

On the flip side, some drivers feel the alerts can get a bit too sensitive or distracting. In-cab monitoring is another mixed one-some appreciate the extra protection, others feel it adds pressure.

Overall, the tech is useful when it supports drivers, not when it replaces common sense or experience. It’s all about balance.