Read a bit more thoroughly the owner's manual and...

I like the safety features. They don't get in the way IMO, like some other cars I've heard do. The Lane Steering Assist barely steers the car at all. If you're not as confident about driving with a car that helps you stay safe (as in steering for you and telling you there're cars in your blind spot), don't opt for the features or just turn them off.

 

The extra stuff is entertainment for the techno geeks.

 

There's a lot of sandbagging in the manual. I've driven my Four Touring for two months now. I adore it. It has all the features and Safety Sense. Everything works very well and I don't have false positives. I've used the DRCC for many hours at a time and it works great. I love it. The collision detection has saved me from rear ending someone at a stoplight (I saw the light turn green and their brake lights went out but they didn't move right away and they reapplied the brakes as I accelerated. "BRAKE!" Said the car!) The auto high beams work pretty well. I don't usually override them. I leave them on. Once a pedestrian shielded her eyes as I drove past her. Now, why she felt it necessary to stare at my headlights in the first place, I don't know. I was using the auto wipers today. I forgot they were on until it started sprinkling.

The manual is good for finding out how to work the car. But don't worry about all the lawyer stuff in there.

 

I get your point completely. Example number 1, auto headlights very common in most vehicles. Folks get used to it, when they then jump into a vehicle that doesn't have it they drive with lights off at night. Need I say more ? LOL

LG-H901 ?

 

None of what the manual says "may happen" really happens, everything actually works as it should. As said above it's just lawyer speak.

I found it strange though that there is no actual "OFF" position on my light switch, just Auto, parking lights and headlights (non auto) positions, making it is impossible to drive in the dark with no lights on (stealth mode ).

 

Yeah I do miss the parking brake symbol. Here it's spelled out in letters when activated.

LG-H901 ?

 

I like being able to turn off the day time running lights. Otherwise at night I leave everything on auto.

Tideland Prius, are you able to fix threads? Can't delete pics on my new 2016 Touring Four thread or edit the first post..

Thanks,

 

When DRLs were first "proposed" for safety (in the US) there was a hew and cry "the headlamps are blinding us in the daytime!!". Yeah, right!
Anyway, that is why there is an "OFF" position in the US, along with the "freedom to do whatever we want, regardless of consequences".
It's also useful when you are working on certain parts of the car.

 

I remember when I was a wee lad, only vehicles in Europe that had DRL were the Volvo's.

LG-H901 ?

 

I like having the ability to control the headlights, including DRLs. I don't use any lights during the daytime and only turn on the DRLs and taillights at night. They're generally bright enough, especially since most roads have good visibility and/or lighted. I only use the low/high beam when on very dark, narrow or winding roads. I think of the lights as having low/medium/high settings. My previous car, a 2004 Corolla had no way to turn off the DRLs and headlights. While there's the slight inconvenience of having to remember to turn them on at night, I still prefer full control of the lighting.

 

Here in Ma, hey have passed a law that if you are using the windshield wiper, you lights need to be turned on.
The DRL's keep me from getting a ticket.

 

How does that go for people using Rain-X instead of wipers?

 

Just try and explain it to the officer. It's the law.

The changes to Mass General Law Chapter 85, Section 15, signed into law in January, require that front and rear motor vehicle lights be activated in all of the following conditions:

When windshield wipers are on

When low light or weather conditions prevent other vehicles or persons from being seen at 500 feet

From ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise

 

"all the safety features - they sound fine on paper, but then the number of limitations of what they cannot really do and when they cannot work... it almost seems that it is better if you turn them off and actually look at the road..."

That's a great quote. I certainly hope that people are looking at the road. I hope drivers don't become too dependent on those sensors.

And then you have all the pretty "displays" going on... all the "Eco" stuff, and the Navigation screen, and the 200 radio stations, and the weather / traffic report / Siri / internet / texting, etc. This is just my 5-cent opinion, but I believe there are way too many distractions in cars today. It's now the leading cause of wrecks.