Lane assist

[shempy]

Joy. I finally sat down with my OBDeleven and turned off lane assist. Life is good.

[Breezy_Pete]

[trevorrg22]

@Shempy

 

Do you mean that you don't have to disable it every time you get in and start the car ?  I find it annoying, even scary, when lane assist tries to take control of the steering so I've been disabling it when I get in but it would be good to get it turned off completely.  I'm guessing it could void warranty, though, to tamper with OBD ?

[WaveyDavey]

I know i'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this but i don't think i've ever had it make me veer or swerve since having the car.  I've had it in a few VW courtesy cars over the years from my VAG specialist when the Superb or Fabia were in for services etc.... and as explained by VW Germany to my specialist when they were over there being trained on the tech it's designed to be used with your lane change indicators but it seems here in Britain the majority of people just change lanes rather than flicking the indicator.

 

I've always just used the lane change faciltiy anyway over the years but as i say i've not had the car make me swerve or veer in daily use. I'm not 100% sure but isn't the strength also adjustable in the settings so maybe i have mine at a lower setting? There is a little pull on the steering when i do purposely cross a line or maybe a painted over line etc.....

 

 

As I say is it because us Brits just don't use the lane change indicators as we maybe should?

[SouthernComfort]

15 hours ago, WaveyDavey said:

 

..........As I say is it because us Brits just don't use the lane change indicators as we maybe should?

I don't wish to poke a hornets nest here, but I can identify with your view. Some time back I got into a 'debate' with a few strong advocates in here for turning Lane Assist off. Similar to you, I concluded the local practice of how lane change indicators are used (or not) might determine the level of one's angst with LA. I too argued that always indicating lane changes will render this a non-issue. I also agree that any 'pull' on the wheel that I've experienced in my Mk4 has been quite mild, certainly not a wrench. I don't know if it's adjustable, it's just how my car was delivered.

Having driven in the UK a few times, it became very obvious to me that lane changing without indicators is a very common practice, including on motorways. In this country, failure to indicate lane changes under any circumstances is illegal, so perhaps we're just more conditioned to indicating such maneuvers. A counter argument was put to me by one poster that "indicating is a form of communication and for any communication to be meaningful it requires a sender and a recipient (as if I somehow didn't understand that basic premise!) therefore when no other drivers are present on the road to see my signal there's no point in giving it". Our local laws override whatever credence that premise may have, so our instinct to indicate when changing lanes simply takes over whether anyone else is around or not. Hence LA isn't a real problem. If UK law doesn't require indicating in all lane changing instances, then I can see how LA could become annoying. 

[Warrior193]

1 hour ago, SouthernComfort said:

I don't wish to poke a hornets nest here, but I can identify with your view. Some time back I got into a 'debate' with a few strong advocates in here for turning Lane Assist off. Similar to you, I concluded the local practice of how lane change indicators are used (or not) might determine the level of one's angst with LA. I too argued that always indicating lane changes will render this a non-issue. I also agree that any 'pull' on the wheel that I've experienced in my Mk4 has been quite mild, certainly not a wrench. I don't know if it's adjustable, it's just how my car was delivered.

Having driven in the UK a few times, it became very obvious to me that lane changing without indicators is a very common practice, including on motorways. In this country, failure to indicate lane changes under any circumstances is illegal, so perhaps we're just more conditioned to indicating such maneuvers. A counter argument was put to me by one poster that "indicating is a form of communication and for any communication to be meaningful it requires a sender and a recipient (as if I somehow didn't understand that basic premise!) therefore when no other drivers are present on the road to see my signal there's no point in giving it". Our local laws override whatever credence that premise may have, so our instinct to indicate when changing lanes simply takes over whether anyone else is around or not. Hence LA isn't a real problem. If UK law doesn't require indicating in all lane changing instances, then I can see how LA could become annoying. 

^^^^^^ + this, and then there is the 'vehicle in blind spot' scenario.

I loose count of many times I have to brake in lane 3-4 when someone pulls out in front of me from lane 2-3 without indicating.  

[Paws4Thot]

10 minutes ago, Warrior193 said:

^^^^^^ + this, and then there is the 'vehicle in blind spot' scenario.

I loose count of many times I have to brake in lane 3-4 when someone pulls out in front of me from lane 2-3 without indicating.  

That's failure to observe, or an insistence that you are more important that the vehicle overtaking you. "Lane enforce" will not stop someone pulling out when you are close enough behind to have to brake.

[Warrior193]

1 hour ago, Paws4Thot said:

That's failure to observe, or an insistence that you are more important that the vehicle overtaking you. "Lane enforce" will not stop someone pulling out when you are close enough behind to have to brake.

Southern Comfort was commenting on the common practice in the UK of not indicating lane changes (and its consequent impact on lane assist) I was agreeing, and added that even if you don't think there is a vehicle following, there is a reason for the mandatory requirement in the UK to indicate lane changes.

[Ootohere]

Just watch Police vehicles. marked cars, vans  or motorbikes & see just how they might not indicate lane changes and that is not while in pursuits or Blue Lighting it.

Same with pulling away from a kerb or roadside.

They get a blow of the horn from me, or a headlight flashing.    Lots on their minds maybe other than other road users, or keeping us on the ball. 

[Cha5]

I'm only a few days into ownership of my (new to me) 2020 Octavia & already I want to permanently disable this so called "lane assist".

 

The weird feeling when it's trying to wrest control from me on the 2mls of narrow country lane I need to travel down to leave my village. 2mls of intermittant center white line coupled with the occasional solid white line on the nearside. It's not like I'd ever need to use an indicator on there, unless someone's broken down or maybe a non local horse rider perhaps.

 

Is this really a "safety" feature? I like to think that safety starts with being in 100% control of the car & driving according to the conditions within your ability. I remember a traffic cop stating many years ago that the only "safety" device that needs fitting to a car is a 6" spike on the steering wheel pointed straight at the drivers throat.

[shempy]

Agree, Indicating is a lost art in Australia. On a good ,well marked road lane assist is fine. Unfortunately good,well marked roads are like hens teeth where I live. 

[mday]

One should only use indicators to inform other road users in the immediate vicinity. It is pointless to do so if there are no vehicles/road users who will benefit from a signal. 

 

If the road is relatively empty with no close vehicles behind & one is changing lanes to overtake a slower vehicle in the mid distance then no indicator is required. 

[SouthernComfort]

20 minutes ago, shempy said:

Agree, Indicating is a lost art in Australia. On a good ,well marked road lane assist is fine. Unfortunately good,well marked roads are like hens teeth where I live. 

That's interesting, I find LA seldom activates on very poorly marked roads. I live well out of town and have plenty in my area too.

[Paws4Thot]

@mday I take it you would agree that "use of indicators before changing lane" is no sort of substitute for "proper observation", and that "lane enforce" does not require, or even support, observation?

[DaveFromSydney]

I also disable it on every drive.

For me it is not so much about intending to cross the lane boundary and  therefore needing to indicate.

It is about situations like driving on an isolated country road with broken up edges and no other traffic where one might want to use the unbroken centre area of the road (to avoid damage to the tires and suspension) but it would be weird to use an indicator in such a case.

It seems to me there are many such cases. Especially since it appears that the car will try to nudge you back even though you have not crossed the line but must be fairly close to it.

 

 

[SouthernComfort]

23 minutes ago, DaveFromSydney said:

I also disable it on every drive.

For me it is not so much about intending to cross the lane boundary and  therefore needing to indicate.

It is about situations like driving on an isolated country road with broken up edges and no other traffic where one might want to use the unbroken centre area of the road (to avoid damage to the tires and suspension) but it would be weird to use an indicator in such a case.

It seems to me there are many such cases. Especially since it appears that the car will try to nudge you back even though you have not crossed the line but must be fairly close to it.

 

 

I think that's fair enough, horses for courses. As I said to @shempy though, I rarely experience lane assist kicking in on those sort of roads (I wonder if it is actually adjustable 'cos mine just isn't as invasive as some describe?). Anyhow, the conditions you're talking about are a lot different to lane changing on a freeway or dual road, where to me at least, indicating not only makes sense but requires minimal effort.

[shempy]

My Skoda is much better than my last car (a Peugeot 508) but both are (were) caught out at one particular spot where a single lane changed into two. Didn't pull everytime but when It did it was quiet violent.

[alancha]

I think I've commented on LA before on this forum but my view on it is that I like it on motorways but hate it on normal roads, especially narrow ones.  

 

On motorways, I feel it is an extra safety system so that if I were, for any reason, to start veering out of my lane it would gently nudge me back in.  This happens very rarely as the lanes are wide and I don't lose concentration, but I think it's there just in case.   By the way, I always indicate for lane changes, and the fact that it resists if you don't is surely a good reminder to indicate.

 

On ordinary roads it's annoying and I really do believe could be dangerous.  The most annoying thing is the way it frequently comes out with a loud beep and big red message telling me to keep in the centre of my lane.  This is ridiculous and contrary to skilled driving, where you choose your position on the road based on factors such as visibility (move out a little on left-hand bends so you can see further round and keep more to the left on right-hand bends for the same reason),  avoiding potholes that are most commonly at the edge of the road, etc..   In wet or potentially icy conditions I think it's confusing as the little tug it gives through the steering wheel when you're not exactly where it thinks you should be feels remarkably similar to the feeling you get when the tyres momentarily lose their grip on a slippery surface, so it would be easy to misinterpret the signal one is getting via the steering wheel.

 

So, bottom line is that I always have it on on motorways and big dual-carriageways and off on all other roads.  Fortunately, it's a quick three-click operation that doesn't need me to take my eyes off the road.

[Warrior193]

11 hours ago, mday said:

One should only use indicators to inform other road users in the immediate vicinity. It is pointless to do so if there are no vehicles/road users who will benefit from a signal. 

 

If the road is relatively empty with no close vehicles behind & one is changing lanes to overtake a slower vehicle in the mid distance then no indicator is required. 

It is actually a statutory requirement in the UK to indicate lane changes - especially on motorways.

[Winston_Woof]

1 hour ago, Warrior193 said:

It is actually a statutory requirement in the UK to indicate lane changes - especially on motorways.

if a tree falls in an empty forest and there is no one there to hear it does it make a noise?

[Winston_Woof]

1 hour ago, Warrior193 said:

It is actually a statutory requirement in the UK to indicate lane changes - especially on motorways.

FYI the highway code has Indicating (and other signals) as SHOULD not MUST

(SHOULD is technically advisory only although non compliance may be taken into account in an individual scenario, MUST is backed up by regulation, usually somewhere in the RTA)

https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/signals.html

[Paws4Thot]

2 hours ago, Warrior193 said:

It is actually a statutory requirement in the UK to indicate lane changes

Cite needed.

[Stonekeeper]

Not a statutory requirement in itself but we do have "Careless or inconsiderate driving" covered in the Road traffic act 1988

 

Which would cover lack of or misuse of indicators

 

[SteveTheElder]

I find it incredible that views expressed here on Lane Assist and the use of indicators are so polarised.

 

There are far more important things to bang on about...

 

[Winston_Woof]

10 hours ago, Stonekeeper said:

Not a statutory requirement in itself but we do have "Careless or inconsiderate driving" covered in the Road traffic act 1988

 

Which would cover lack of or misuse of indicators

 

Previously you categorically stated (and I quote) : "It is actually a statutory requirement in the UK to indicate lane changes - especially on motorways."

Careless/Inconsiderate driving is *NOT* a statutory requirement that says you *MUST* indicate lane changes and wasn't the question that was asked ((also  misuse of indicators as a careless/inconsiderate driving offence is a bit of a stretch, theoretically maybe? in actuality ?)

Could you please cite a source for the original statement (I've already linked to the Highway code a few posts up) .

ALso has anyone actually been prosecuted for not using their indicators I wonder (links to relevant sources also appreciated)?

Careless/Inconsiderate driving is such a "woolly" offence as demonstrated here  at the CPS Website