7 ms·

In one car I've driven, whenever you turn it on, a pop-up appears that says (paraphrasing): "Taking your eyes off the road to interact with this screen can cau

by csense 3y ago

In one car I've driven, whenever you turn it on, a pop-up appears that says (paraphrasing): "Taking your eyes off the road to interact with this screen can cause an accident. Press OK to continue." Irony...

grogenaut 3y ago
I love google maps's insistence on trying to convince you to use driving mode when you start navigating by car. Of which literally every time I've done so I was you know starting to pull out of my driveway, airport parking lot, etc. They seem to have solved this recently by not giving you an option and just forcing you into driving mode.
suprjami 3y ago
Keyboard error or not present, press F1 to resume.
- thakoppno 3y ago
  This place is left intentionally blank.
agloe_dreams 3y ago
Oh mazda...
- billsmithaustin 3y ago
  In at least some Mazda models, you can replace the firmware in the entertainment system to eliminate that message. I’ve done it.
  - sterwill 3y ago
    On my old 2014 Mazda 3, you could SSH in over USB Ethernet as root, and just edit the timeout delay in the console JavaScript files. That was great.
    - goldtownjac 3y ago
      wow, this is the first time I've wished that my 2013 3 had the infotainment system
    - vorpalhex 3y ago
      I don't think I have ever read a more terrifying HN comment in my life. What happens if you try to make an http call from the dialog?
      - jaywalk 3y ago
        I highly doubt a 2014 Mazda infotainment system has any access to the Internet.
micw 3y ago
Thats a huge PITA on newer cars. On both, mine (Skoda) and my wife's (Nissan) I have to accept their data protection policy every time I start the car. The dialogue usually pops up a few seconds after I start driving.
- kzrdude 3y ago
  Ridiculous. Unfortunate for you, but I hope it affects the resale value of those models.
  - micw 3y ago
    Does not matter. When we sell our cars, the value tends to zero ;-)
yomlica8 3y ago
Yeah, my car shows similar on startup. "Our infotainment system is a danger for anyone to use because of the terrible design. Please press "I agree" to confirm it is all your fault and responsibility somehow." Mercifully but even more ridiculous, it just goes away without being pressed when you start driving.
- Terr_ 3y ago
  > it just goes away without being pressed when you start driving. Some don't, I'm afraid to say. "If you ignore this automatic popup warning in order to focus on driving, the screen will continue to display the message indefinitely at maximum brightness to distract or blind you for your entire trip until you take your attention away from the road to turn it off."
  - varjag 3y ago
    "And of course you need your screen to run the AC so you have to press confirm anyway while driving"
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
organsnyder 3y ago
My Chrysler does this. Thankfully the screen goes away on its own after some amount of time (I've never bothered to time it, but it's definitely seconds rather than minutes) if you don't click the Okay button.
hedora 3y ago
Car manufacturers get bonus points when the screen obscures the backup camera feed. My car's crash safety rating was significantly dinged because lower trim lines don't have low beams that follow the steering. I wish they'd deduct a star for "there is a circumstance in which the car is on, and the main console is displaying a non-time-critical-popup, or refusing to accept input". On a related note, why do car manufacturers make you come to a complete stop on the freeway so the person in the passenger seat can type an address into the navigation system?
- bqmjjx0kac 3y ago
  > On a related note, why do car manufacturers make you come to a complete stop on the freeway so the person in the passenger seat can type an address into the navigation system? I have to wonder whether adding friction to the UX in the name of safety can have the complete opposite effect. Sure, drivers might do something dumb like trying to pair a Bluetooth device while they're driving, but if the car makes this impossible, isn't it increasing the amount of time the driver is distracted?
- avar 3y ago
  Presumably because the car doesn't know that there's a person there, the seat may have a weight sensor, and the car knows that the passenger seat belt is plugged in. Both are trivially circumvented.
  - ars 3y ago
    Why is it the cars job to even decide if I should be allowed to use the GPS? I have GPS in my car, but I use an external one because the internal one is so annoying this way - the first time I got lost because my passenger could not interact with the GPS was also the last time I used it.
    - avar 3y ago
      Sure, but that's tangential to this sub-thread. The GP is taking the nanny-ware as a given, and narrowly asking why the passenger isn't allowed to bypass it. I'm pointing out that cars don't have a is_occupied_by_human(), just car_seat_weight() and seat_belt_in_use(). That it works this way isn't obvious to anyone who hasn't looked into it.
barbazoo 3y ago
Do you _have_ to press ok or does it go away after a while?
- renewiltord 3y ago
  It goes away on my Subaru (admittedly an older 2018) but it does obscure the rear camera. So if I want to start the car and back up immediately after, there's a delay. It's not painful, but I have gotten into the habit of using the mirrors instead, and the camera + sensor is very useful so I should not be doing that.
  - barbazoo 3y ago
    What an annoying "feature". Could that be the same thing as with other American idiosyncrasies, e.g. caution hot coffee is hot, objects in mirror might be closer than they appear, etc due to people being too litigation happy?
    - Timon3 3y ago
      Please don't repeat stories without knowing the basis. What you're calling "hot coffee is hot" should be called "coffee stored at unnaturally high temperatures which cause 3rd degree burns is hot". Normal coffee does not lead to those burns. McDonalds put in a lot of effort, and probably money, to make it seem like "hurr durr it was just a dumb American being dumb". It's not that. The woman also didn't sue to become rich, only to cover her medical costs.
      - zamfi 3y ago
        The story itself is quite tragic, and indeed everything you say is true. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the warning label “CAUTION: Contents hot” on a paper cup is indeed pretty useless and likely exists as a result of this lawsuit — not because it will actually keep anyone from burning themselves (for that goal, you’d want it to say some variant of “our coffee is much hotter than what you make at home”), but because a bunch of lawyers thought it would make for an easier defense next time. That’s the root cause right there.

by csense 3y ago

grogenaut 3y ago

I love google maps's insistence on trying to convince you to use driving mode when you start navigating by car. Of which literally every time I've done so I was you know starting to pull out of my driveway, airport parking lot, etc. They seem to have solved this recently by not giving you an option and just forcing you into driving mode.

suprjami 3y ago

Keyboard error or not present, press F1 to resume.

thakoppno 3y ago
This place is left intentionally blank.

agloe_dreams 3y ago

Oh mazda...

billsmithaustin 3y ago
In at least some Mazda models, you can replace the firmware in the entertainment system to eliminate that message. I’ve done it.
- sterwill 3y ago
  On my old 2014 Mazda 3, you could SSH in over USB Ethernet as root, and just edit the timeout delay in the console JavaScript files. That was great.
  - goldtownjac 3y ago
    wow, this is the first time I've wished that my 2013 3 had the infotainment system
  - vorpalhex 3y ago
    I don't think I have ever read a more terrifying HN comment in my life. What happens if you try to make an http call from the dialog?
    - jaywalk 3y ago
      I highly doubt a 2014 Mazda infotainment system has any access to the Internet.

micw 3y ago

Thats a huge PITA on newer cars. On both, mine (Skoda) and my wife's (Nissan) I have to accept their data protection policy every time I start the car. The dialogue usually pops up a few seconds after I start driving.

kzrdude 3y ago
Ridiculous. Unfortunate for you, but I hope it affects the resale value of those models.
- micw 3y ago
  Does not matter. When we sell our cars, the value tends to zero ;-)

yomlica8 3y ago

Yeah, my car shows similar on startup. "Our infotainment system is a danger for anyone to use because of the terrible design. Please press "I agree" to confirm it is all your fault and responsibility somehow." Mercifully but even more ridiculous, it just goes away without being pressed when you start driving.

Terr_ 3y ago
> it just goes away without being pressed when you start driving. Some don't, I'm afraid to say. "If you ignore this automatic popup warning in order to focus on driving, the screen will continue to display the message indefinitely at maximum brightness to distract or blind you for your entire trip until you take your attention away from the road to turn it off."
- varjag 3y ago
  "And of course you need your screen to run the AC so you have to press confirm anyway while driving"

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

organsnyder 3y ago

My Chrysler does this. Thankfully the screen goes away on its own after some amount of time (I've never bothered to time it, but it's definitely seconds rather than minutes) if you don't click the Okay button.

hedora 3y ago

Car manufacturers get bonus points when the screen obscures the backup camera feed. My car's crash safety rating was significantly dinged because lower trim lines don't have low beams that follow the steering. I wish they'd deduct a star for "there is a circumstance in which the car is on, and the main console is displaying a non-time-critical-popup, or refusing to accept input". On a related note, why do car manufacturers make you come to a complete stop on the freeway so the person in the passenger seat can type an address into the navigation system?

bqmjjx0kac 3y ago
> On a related note, why do car manufacturers make you come to a complete stop on the freeway so the person in the passenger seat can type an address into the navigation system? I have to wonder whether adding friction to the UX in the name of safety can have the complete opposite effect. Sure, drivers might do something dumb like trying to pair a Bluetooth device while they're driving, but if the car makes this impossible, isn't it increasing the amount of time the driver is distracted?
avar 3y ago
Presumably because the car doesn't know that there's a person there, the seat may have a weight sensor, and the car knows that the passenger seat belt is plugged in. Both are trivially circumvented.
- ars 3y ago
  Why is it the cars job to even decide if I should be allowed to use the GPS? I have GPS in my car, but I use an external one because the internal one is so annoying this way - the first time I got lost because my passenger could not interact with the GPS was also the last time I used it.
  - avar 3y ago
    Sure, but that's tangential to this sub-thread. The GP is taking the nanny-ware as a given, and narrowly asking why the passenger isn't allowed to bypass it. I'm pointing out that cars don't have a is_occupied_by_human(), just car_seat_weight() and seat_belt_in_use(). That it works this way isn't obvious to anyone who hasn't looked into it.

barbazoo 3y ago

Do you _have_ to press ok or does it go away after a while?

renewiltord 3y ago
It goes away on my Subaru (admittedly an older 2018) but it does obscure the rear camera. So if I want to start the car and back up immediately after, there's a delay. It's not painful, but I have gotten into the habit of using the mirrors instead, and the camera + sensor is very useful so I should not be doing that.
- barbazoo 3y ago
  What an annoying "feature". Could that be the same thing as with other American idiosyncrasies, e.g. caution hot coffee is hot, objects in mirror might be closer than they appear, etc due to people being too litigation happy?
  - Timon3 3y ago
    Please don't repeat stories without knowing the basis. What you're calling "hot coffee is hot" should be called "coffee stored at unnaturally high temperatures which cause 3rd degree burns is hot". Normal coffee does not lead to those burns. McDonalds put in a lot of effort, and probably money, to make it seem like "hurr durr it was just a dumb American being dumb". It's not that. The woman also didn't sue to become rich, only to cover her medical costs.
    - zamfi 3y ago
      The story itself is quite tragic, and indeed everything you say is true. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the warning label “CAUTION: Contents hot” on a paper cup is indeed pretty useless and likely exists as a result of this lawsuit — not because it will actually keep anyone from burning themselves (for that goal, you’d want it to say some variant of “our coffee is much hotter than what you make at home”), but because a bunch of lawyers thought it would make for an easier defense next time. That’s the root cause right there.