Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Topic: Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control? (Read 4119 times) previous topic - next topic

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

September 14, 2006, 03:27:51 PM

Has anyone else heard about this?

I caught a couple things in the news the past couple days and I just had to shake my head.

It appears that the Feds are going to require some sort of stabilty or traction control on all new US vehicles by 2008 or 2010. Seriously?

How about federal mandates to pull your head out of your ass while driving?

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #1 – September 14, 2006, 03:45:49 PM

how bout they make everyone learn to drive a fully manual car from the 60's...

or make it a special license to be able to drive an auto.

it is basically blaming cars for bad drivers, this is society now, it is never the person's fualt, something else MADE them do it... or didn't prevent them from thier own stupidity.

*sigh* just means I need to get another old car again before they are banned.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #2 – September 14, 2006, 03:57:14 PM

Will this stop the 5' tall ladies talking on the phone while running through a YIELD sign and driving me off the road in their Expeditions from flipping over if they see me at the last minute & roll the ed vehicle trying to avoid hitting me?

:disappoin

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #3 – September 14, 2006, 04:55:39 PM

Ford will have all of their vehicles equipped with this setup for the 2009 model year...so whether the U.S. government approves it or not, new Fords will still have them. I think all Volvos and Jags have them right now. Despite the massive cuts over at Ford, at least they have the foresight to keep safety issues in the program.

You also have to consider that vehicles today are massive. In the 1980's and 1990's, the "thing to do" was to lighten up the cars so that our underpowered engines wouldn't work as hard, and the cars would "feel" faster.

Well, with all these regulations now, lighter weights are really not feasible (or sometimes even possible), but the automakers have countered with more powerful engines. That's all well and good...but when the average new car weight is around 4000 lbs., and even more for SUV's and trucks, and with 250+ hp engines as standard, then something has to be done to help control the inertia of these vehicles. Think of this as the street version of NASCAR's restrictor plate.

Whether it's needed or not...it's a toss-up. On one hand, the government recognizes that technology can help stop many needless accidents from possibly occuring, and obviously they want to exploit that technology as soon as possible. On the other hand...as mentioned, it will still never fully account for human error or inattention to the surroundings. Overall I think it's probably a good thing because a) it just may work, and b) it will raise the bar for other domestic automakers. Ford can always say they were first to have them, before the gov't. rules kicked in, and that's a nice opportunity for advertising. Lord knows Ford needs something in its corner right now.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #4 – September 14, 2006, 05:05:17 PM

Some of the new technology in the pipeline is amazing. I think it's Lexus has a system that will "pre-charge" the brake system if its onboard radar detects a crash is iminent. Mercedes goes one better - they have a system that actually applies the brakes. Of course the driver will also hit the pedal, but even if they don't, if 40% of total stopping power is sufficient to stop the car the car can do so without driver intervention.

That being said, I dunno if the government should be mandating things like that, especially while ABS is still optional. It's like mandating power steering.

Eric: Ford may be able to claim first, but their competitors would probably be quick to point out that the legislation is probably very closely related to the Firestone/Explorer fisaco (much like the mandatd tire pressure monitoring system) :D

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #5 – September 14, 2006, 05:12:58 PM

Welcome to the nanny-state. :p

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #6 – September 14, 2006, 05:14:51 PM

"but when the average new car weight is around 4000 lbs., and even more for SUV's and trucks, and with 250+ hp engines as standard, then something has to be done to help control the inertia of these vehicles."

How about 14" front brakes with 4 piston calipers:pbb: Traction control really does nothing to help a lateral stability problem. It only aids in preventing accelleration wheel spin. What an SUV would need would be some type of active stability management.

But none of it should be government mandated. If the people want it they'll buy it and the automakers would sell it... I just dont think TCS or ASM is really high on the consumers priority list if they could get the same vehicle cheaper without that stuff... That is unless the insurance industry offered some nice incentives that would offset the initial cost.

I just hate it when 'big brother' gets involved.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #7 – September 14, 2006, 05:55:33 PM

My insurance company offers an incentive for traction control. When I applied for it, they asked if the car had ABS and TCS. Because of that my Grand Prix falls into the Vehicle Safety Discount.

Lexus and Mercedes might have some cutting edge systems, but what about the Vovlo XC90. You cannot roll it under normal cirspoogestances. And have we forgotten about the AdvanceTrac system? That is one amazing stability control system. The newer Explorers, like the XC90, can't be rolled. Now if u jump it, or bank it off a mountain side, or turn full lock at 60 mph, maybe. But AdvanceTrac will prevent, not aid in avoiding, a rollover. It goes beyond controling power distribution. It will indepentantly brake each wheel depending on the conditions it detects. If the yaw rate sensor and/or lateral accelerometer dectect an iminent rollover, it will take action to plant the vehicle on all four wheels. This system is will do everything short of steering the vehicle back to the ground, if any of the wheels do leave the ground. Ford has one hell of a system in the AdvanceTrac, but nobody knows about it. I feel it should be standard on all of their SUV's regardless of price. These SUV's are so massive it would be very costly in the future to go on with AdvanceTrac being a topshelf, only for the rich product.

As far as mandating some kind of system. That's fine with me. It's smart. What should be done first, though, is remove the major distractions that cause the accidents; Cell phones, strict enforcement of LCD screens in the driver's vision, visor attactments, dangling mirror decorations, and so on. Another thing about the mandatory TC issue, most cars with any kind of power have some system in place already as standard equipment. This would only affect the cheap line of vehicles, which get into the most accidents anyway. But seriously, who cares if they MUST be installed in every vehicle on the road, is it that different from Airbags? Active Seatbelts? Safety Glass? If it bothers someone that much, they can always turn it off....or if switches become banned....fuses can be removed. It's not that big a deal to have something like this mandated.

Oh and if the government never got involved....LA would be uninhabitable, SPF90 would be as routine as deodorant, cars would have no doors, rust everywhere, no exhaust, no windows, bald tires and such, seatbelts would never be worn, drunk driver fatalities would be up 10 fold, etc... As long as they don't monitor my every move and fine me everytime my car sneaks above the speedlimit or shut my car down the instant my CEL comes on, I don't care what they do.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #8 – September 14, 2006, 06:08:35 PM

Take brakes away period. Survival of the fittest.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #9 – September 14, 2006, 06:46:40 PM

Quote

Take brakes away period. Survival of the fittest.

So do you use an anchor when you get to your destination or just crash into a brick wall?

This country is WAY too concerned with not offending anyone to the point of it would rather not offend and live with a dngerous situation than to offend and have the problem go away.

Guess what? Most accidents are caused by human error. Nobody's perfect, but if more attention was payed on the roads - especially in bad weather - it would help.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #10 – September 14, 2006, 06:51:46 PM

Quote from: Chuck W;103938

How about federal mandates to pull your head out of your ass while driving?

Agreed..............

Be a good idea to train people to properly operate a vehicle instead of mandating "skill" be built into the car

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #11 – September 14, 2006, 06:58:30 PM

The thing is though...there have been idiots that should not be behind the wheel of a vehicle since its conception and there will be those same types behind the wheel as long as humans are driving. All these new advances in saftey dont just save the idiot driver in their vehicle but the innocent folks that get hurt and killed because of careless drivers everyday! We can never prevent these drivers from changing their bad driving habits no matter what laws are implemented but we can save other lives with vehicles that are smarter than the driver in it.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #12 – September 14, 2006, 09:22:50 PM

anybody rember the movie demolition man, with silvester stalone? all this stuff reminds me of that... i fear that before i die, i will have to dress up to eat out at taco bell, and be driving a car that i have to talk to. we will get ticketed for cursing because there arnt any auto accidents anymore sence everything is automated and the police have nothing better to do and become puss's.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #13 – September 14, 2006, 11:20:07 PM

Quote

Guess what? Most accidents are caused by human error. Nobody's perfect, but if more attention was payed on the roads - especially in bad weather - it would help.

Federally Mandated Stability/Traction Control?

Reply #14 – September 19, 2006, 07:31:37 PM

Not pro or con, But I must be the only one here old enough to remember these same comments about seat belts. Yet who feels safe driving agressively without them.