Too much technology in current 4Runners???

Because it’s the law. What’s the next step? Why stop at a stop sign if no one is around? Why stop at a red light in the middle of the night because no one is around? Just because you “think” no one else is around, doesn’t mean there isn’t.

I’m passionate about this one as my mom was forced off the road by a trucker just changing lanes, no signal. He hit our car, and forced her into the ditch. His excuse to the cop was “I thought I was the only one on the road”. Her injuries were fine after a couple of months, but freaked her out as he didn’t signal so she couldn’t react to at least honk or slam on the brakes.

 

No cop no stop. I'm not saying you shouldn't slow down and look but I doubt even you come to a complete, legal stop when you can clearly see you are the only one there.

Depending on where she was beside the 18 wheeler a honk or hitting the brakes may or may not have helped.

 

Yes, that's the only time I've used mine.

I keep my old Garmin in my other car without nav for that same reason.

 

I should probably clarify, I'm not saying the truck shouldn't have used a signal because it wouldn't have mattered. I don't agree though that you have to use one when nobody else is around just because it's the law.

It's like saying "pardon me" when farting on the elevator but you're the only one there, just because it's polite

 

It does rerouting in traffic!? I have always used google maps but I didnt know about onboard nav it does that. Do you have to get the toyota data plan for it to work?

 

Completely disagree because it still ends up falling on the perception that you believe you are safe to do so. You may be correct that you are completely alone 99 times, but the one time you are not is all it takes. Essentially your argument is as long as I am confident that I’m alone, I’m justified doing what I want. Based on that opinion, that can be a justification to drive in oncoming traffic lane. There is no risk because I perceive there is no one else around. That is isn’t just selfish, but arrogant, and arrogance leads to risk. Would you guide a new driver to not bother using the signal, not stop at a light, or go 50% over the speed limit when he or she is confident that no one else is around? The goal is to practice certain behaviours despite no one being around, so things become muscle memory and you do it without conscious thought. The effort is insignificant to be safe, so I don’t understand the logic of your position. From another angle, take not signalling when no one is around to “if I’m far enough ahead I don’t need to signal.” As each scenario gets pushed, you should be able to end up with “he/she should’ve been able to tell what my intensions were regardless of me not signalling”.

For the record, I’m not pissed at you having this position, just frustrated that many folks likely share this thought process. I’m sure you’re a nice guy.

 

I wouldn’t categorize it as American culture, Canadian culture … as I know a handful of Canadians that don’t wear seatbelts, and worse. I get it when it comes to avoiding living in a nanny state, as I’m for less government not more. If anything I might segment rural vs urban driving habits. I look it as unnecessary risk vs impediment on applying the effort to lower that risk. Not wearing a seatbelt only causes risk to me, regardless if I think being watched or not, so I wouldn’t debate that point. But Lane changing, extreme speeding (20+ over limit), drinking and driving, texting and driving have completely preventable risks.

For the record, I’m no saint and have some stupid things in my youth (speeding). It’s funny, now that I drive slower I feel more at risk, and see some scary driving almost daily. Glad I’m in a 4Runner, slightly raised up, and better now with steel front bumper for the road vs the trails, lol.

I’ll stop my old man rant now.

 

I would understand if you were pissed at me for my position - I also understand that it's arrogant.

Would I teach a new driver to drive like me? Of course not. But I have 25+ years of driving experience. I also paid out of pocket for a defensive driving course to get my license early and probably learned a lot more than high school drivers ed taught everyone else. I'm constantly checking mirrors and looking as far ahead as the road allows so I always know what's in front, behind, and beside me. You know, paying attention - which seems to be a lost art when it comes to driving. All this new "drivers assist" tech in newer vehicles isn't helping people become better drivers.

Do I make mistakes? Of course, I'm human. That's why they're called accidents. I don't wrecklessly drive into oncoming traffic lanes because nobody is there. Call me arrogant (because I most likely am) but I don't feel bad for rolling through a stop sign or not completely stopping to turn right on red when I can determine it is safe to do so - saves gas not having to re-accelerate a big heavy vehicle like the 4runner. It also keeps traffic flowing. Have you ever sat at a huge backup at a 4-way stop and stopped to think how much worse it would be if the majority of people ACTUALLY came to a full legal stop? Even the police roll through those - I've seen it dozens of times.

I always use my signals out of habit but if someone were on a 2 mile flat straightaway and there is no other vehicle in sight, I wouldn't shake my finger at them and say "well you should have because it's the law".

But then again, I don't really like absolutes. I find them childish and nonsensical. People need to exercise their best judgment occasionally or else they may forget how to use it

 

If you want to keep the old man rant going I started a "you know what really grinds my gears?" thread.

Feel free to go on there and just post "some asshole on this forum named Tootz McGee"

 

I mean…

The vast majority of people here are descended from people who sometime between 1492 and the present said, “Screw this, I’m out of here…”


Walking through a swamp in the state my ancestors settled in, I said to my wife, “Imagine how horrible it was back in Europe if settling here was preferable to turning around and heading back!”

Same goes for Canada too, I guess…but we were the first to basically tell the most powerful military in the world to piss off.

 

Could be a culture difference within the country itself. I was born and raised in a rural area that doesn't really praise government laws telling people what to do with every aspect of their life and it's apparently stuck with me. The culture more lends itself to "we'll figure out what's best for us based on our situation". Not someone who's never stepped foot here.

That said, I don't have a flagrant disregard for laws and was taught to give the utmost respect to law enforcement. My opinion doesn't mean shit if I'm ticketed or arrested for breaking a law. I'll put on my big boy pants, accept my punishment, and move on with life. But I wouldn't do anything I thought would get me arrested because I don't want to jeopardize my career or the welfare of my family. Unless you are really doing something stupid and endangering the public, a minor traffic offense typically means a fine unless you are a repeat offender.

 

Murder's OK if they can't find the body?? Robbing rich people only?

 

Tell it to the Irish!!!

 

Yes, this is exactly what I was saying. I'm glad someone gets it

 

No data plan required. The Nav system checks for traffic when it first calculates the route, and then rechecks traffic something like every 15 minutes.

 

They've been having a go at each other for a thousand years or more, with Scotland also part of the fun and games.

If you think about it, the American Revolution was surprisingly successful in a pretty dang short period of time.

 

Britain claimed it's participation in WWI was so "small nations could be free"! Didn't seem to include Ireland, Scotland, or India!

 

You forgot Wales!

To be fair, WWII in Europe properly kicked off with the intent of liberating Poland. That...didn't happen...until roughly a half century after the war was over.

 

If you're operating your vehicle in public when there's like any level of inhabitation / interest to the area please drive with good practices. You might not see pedestrians, who may wish to cross or do other pedestrian things. I park in a tight driveway regularly where I wait on the side of the road first until it's clear. I watch a 4 way stop ahead and one behind me and if people don't signal, if they sit there fondling their bals because nobody's there, it's one more thing for me to attend to and slows me down. Please share public space and consider the rules, I love hauling ass recreationally and rules often contribute to safety.

respect law enforcement / rules don't apply to you

 

The main exit from my neighborhood is an intersection with a signal. The signal never changes unless someone drives over a sensor in the asphalt (or presses the “walk” button). The sensor is a little picky about which cars it chooses to sense. Apparently ground clearance is a factor in its decision making, because it doesn’t always see my 4Runner. Or maybe it just doesn’t like me - I get that a lot.. Often after having waited a good amount of time, and scanning up and down the road for cross traffic, I will turn left against the red light. I submit myself , my peers, to your judgment.

I would hasten to add in my defense that while waiting at signals I never look at my phone or fondle my balls.

 

Well if you ever run over someone and kill them while running that redlight like a lawless clown, just remember if you get rid of the body it's not actually murder - I heard it here on the forum.

 

Clown? That hurts, man. Besides, it wouldn’t be murder. It would be manslaughter.

[You can’t spell manslaughter without laughter.]

 

Lol, thanks for the education, I didn't know that about the name. At least I called you a lawless clown and not an ass clown like the sheriff did of the 4runner owner in CO a few weeks ago.

It would be manslaughter if it was an accident - but maybe they looked at my 4runner funny before crossing the street and I did it on purpose?

Glad some people get my sense of humor






<Laughing with devil horns>

 

To get back on topic - something I touched on in an earlier post.

I feel for the new drivers that learn to drive, relying on all this new tech. I've seen, on multiple occasions, people just looking at their side mirror for the BSM icon to disappear before putting on a signal and moving over without looking over the shoulder.

I'm glad I learned to drive before all this stuff came out. Just like all older cars, this shit's going to break and stop working as vehicles get older and if that's the only way you learned how to drive (backup camera, BSM, cross traffic monitor, auto braking, lane assist, etc.) then you're going to be up a creek without a paddle.

Curious to see if all this tech lowers rate of accidents now, but then accidents increase in the future because nobody knows how to drive without it. At some point there will probably be mandatory vehicle inspections that require that it's all in working order due to "public safety"

 

I feel bad for writing a post about rules. Mostly I would like to see more signaling as people approach intersections . . . easier for donuts

 

Why feel bad? I think it's a valid point. Signals are just that - you are signaling to everyone your intention so they know what to expect. Very important to other drivers and pedestrians. Useless if there is nobody there to see it but I guess you can feel good about obeying the law.

Are you advocating doing donuts in intersections? I think I like this guy

 

When I turn left on the red light I use my turn signal.

 

Don’t get me wrong. My bogus anonymous online persona is not named after that pretender. That imposter. That clown. See?

 

This thread sure has devolved…

I kinda like it lol. Much more entertaining!