Safe and Smart Package on the Track

[Norm Peterson]

Mostly for RocketGuy's benefit, none of my cars has either ACC or braking that can activate itself . . . my '08 GT and the WRX do have 'dumb' CC (that except for a few fraction-of-a-mile tests in the GT I've never used), and the WRX supposedly has a brake assist that increases brake pressure in certain situations (that I've never triggered). Today's emphasis on safety-consciousness via technology notwithstanding, neither of those features hold any appeal for me even in street driving.


Norm

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[Michael_vroomvroom]

ACC is really great for me twice a week, when I have to drive a longer highway stretch where there is a speeding camera at the start, and another speeding camera at the end, and where I'll get a hefty fine in the mail later if they calculate my average speed to be above the speed limit. A bit before the first camera I enable cruise control, set my speed to a few mph above the speed limit, and then I can just concentrate on my driving rather than watch the speedometer. Much safer I think.

There are usually a few cars that want to pass me, so I switch to the slower lane when that happens. Judging by their speed either they did not notice/care there are speed cameras on this stretch of highway, or perhaps entered the highway after the first speed camera, but mostly I'm in the faster lane, slowly passing the other cars who are scared to get fined and are probably not using ACC. ;-)

Both ACC and lane assist are easily disabled via the sync3 menu.

 

[krishelnino]

I only used ACC few times but i think it's pretty pointless on a manual car.
I disabled the emergency braking - too many annoying beeps and flash warnings on the HUD, i've also disable Lane Keep assist

What i found helpful were the rain sensing wipers and auto high beams. I love the auto high beam feature !

 

[RocketGuy3]

Thanks for the continued input, guys.

I think you have to consider exactly what all this technology is supposed to be accomplishing. Which is not to make the better/more skilled drivers among us any better than we already are.

Personally, I think that frequent use of ACC has the potential for slowing or otherwise getting in the way of a driver's use of the brakes in a track environment even if he does shut it off there. The unintended lesson being taught in the street driving can and probably will sneak through from time to time, maybe a little like diffusion of a gas through a membrane. Or you could just call it "muscle memory".

PCA has the right idea here.


Norm

My overall mindset tends to be quite different on the street vs at the track, and I think that is the case for most people. In a track session, you are fully locked in and engaged with your adrenaline flowing at all times. It's unreasonable to expect people to be that way full time while cruising at 75-80 mph on an interstate for hours at a time, on a trip they're making for the dozenth time. I think street and track driving are pretty well compartmentalized skills that can develop separately, even if there is some overlap. I wouldn't be very concerned with that issue, personally.

Hell, the most serious track drivers aren't even driving the same car on the track that they drive every day (which is usually the case for me, too). Sometimes it's night and day. A stripped-to-the-bone, non-street-legal track monster on the weekend, and a minivan or CUV with all the latest gadgets and safety features for their families during the week. And they do just fine.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Not intended as criticism or flame.

My overall mindset tends to be quite different on the street vs at the track, and I think that is the case for most people. In a track session, you are fully locked in and engaged with your adrenaline flowing at all times. It's unreasonable to expect people to be that way full time while cruising at 75-80 mph on an interstate for hours at a time, on a trip they're making for the dozenth time. I think street and track driving are pretty well compartmentalized skills that can develop separately, even if there is some overlap. I wouldn't be very concerned with that issue, personally.

I see what you're getting at, but I can't agree that your driving attitudes for street vs road course should be as distinct from each other as that. Heightened awareness on the track to some things, yes. But that doesn't mean your awareness should drop in street driving. Only that it needs to handle a different mix of information.

I honestly don't understand what people find so difficult about maintaining at least a reasonably uniform pace all by themselves (with the understanding that on some days they'll do a better job of it than on others). Personally, I think using it takes away the best place for your right foot to be (right next to the brake pedal), never mind that CC does not drive in anticipation of what lies ahead (even ACC isn't going to see an upcoming rise, and it still drives in a reactionary fashion otherwise).

Hell, the most serious track drivers aren't even driving the same car on the track that they drive every day (which is usually the case for me, too). Sometimes it's night and day. A stripped-to-the-bone, non-street-legal track monster on the weekend, and a minivan or CUV with all the latest gadgets and safety features for their families during the week. And they do just fine.

Near as I can tell, the only differences between driving your track toy and running errands in your daily driver that need matter are the speeds and g-forces involved . . . collectively your "intensity". Which might be 9/10ths on the track, 2/10ths to maybe 4/10ths on the street, and maybe 5/10ths or so if you're intentionally "playing". It just seems to me that it would be both slower and harder to change your whole mindset from street in a CUV to track in your race car than to maintain an HPDE mindset and dial up your intensity as necessary. There is also some risk that any acquired street-driving dependence on "driving aids" could sneak through at the wrong time - either on the track or on the street. Just so you know, there's a currently running thread elsewhere where similar things were at work.


FWIW, adrenaline when on the track - specifically when there gets to be too much of it - tends to become "red mist". You need to know how to not only recognize this, you also need to know how to dial yourself back from the edge. Race car in competition would be another matter, but I suspect that most people here don't go past HPDE.


Norm

 

[3pdl]

to each his own. i'd pay extra to not have safe and smart.
fwiw, i've never used the auto headlights

 

[nrm101]

Do people with a manual transmission who track their cars still think the package is worth it? I'm wondering how valuable adaptive cruise control is when you have a manual, and also wondering whether the automatic emergency braking can be intrusive (and maybe even downright dangerous) on a road course...

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

EDIT: Just found some information that seems to indicate the active braking feature can be turned off... Guess that would be the thing to do at the track if I got this package.

I have 19 GT Premium manual, with Safe & Smart, w/ lane assist and havent' yet tracked the car but intent to. Here are my thoughts,

All the Safe and Smart features can be shut of thru the dash from what i can tell, i did upgrade to digital dash and have menus for them not sure how much i had on the old dash

Adaptive Cruise is Great IMO if you have to commute or just want a relaxing highway drive once you "trust" it you can sit back and relax a bit more than you would normally do. It doesn't shut off when you shift which is also nice, even when the people who can't drive merge into your lane, and the lane assist keeps you from the drifting off you lines looking at whatever catches your eye on the highway ...

The Avoidance stuff does have some sensitive adjustments from the dash i think 3, and you can set it to "Alert" and not Prime the brakes, out of the 10+ times its come on; 9 i ignored as i know what was in front of me, 1 it truly did its job, i admittedly was distracted with something in the car, and the car in front of me turned with no directional, and braked short turning into a side road, and the alert and primed brakes saved me from most likely some paint sharing.

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