It seems like it never ends with these stories of irresponsible driving. I just saw a report on tonight's NBC news about drivers text messaging while driving. Apparently its prevalent among younger drivers. According to the report it has resulted in a lot of accidents and in some cases deaths.

I know the majority here favor Lexus allowing all operations on the touch screen while the car is in motion, but reports like this just reinforce the wise decision Lexus has made on this limiting this functionality.

One thing I had always admired about the German manufacturers was not putting cup holders in their cars because their feeling was you were supposed to be driving when you were driving. I know they had to concede to popular demand and relent on the cup holders. I hope Lexus doesn't ever relent on locking out dangerous driving.

 

With all due respect, your alarmist reflexive defense of Toyota/Lexus' indefensible neutering of all useful functionality of the quite expensive Navigation system in the LS460 is quite a stretch.

Look. For once, and for all: There is absolutely no...repeat, no justification for the motion lockouts on the LS460's Navigation/Center-Stack electronics.

Using the logic employed by some who would go to the mat to the death on this issue...uh...why not govern the car to say...75mph?

Why have a radio in the car? Isn't that a distraction?

Hands-Free or not, talking on the telephone while driving is the ultimate death-wish...isn't it?

No, you see, the LS460 is governed at 130mph, it has a nice radio, and bluetooth hands-free connectivity...er...but, you can't see an album or track list, and dammit...don't you dare list more than one gas station you're nearest to while moving. Too dangerous.

Pfft.

 

I agree with this. I think it's rather silly for Lexus or any other automaker to play babysitter in this regard. I think the biggest argument for allowing all electronics including nav, etc, while the car is in motion is having the passenger have the ability to use these features. To assume the driver will be irresponsible, thus cutting off their use while the car is in motion is pretty ridiculous. Many of those who can even afford to own such a car with advanced electronics tend to be older and married anyway, and usually (or often) may travel with others (wife, etc).

Although I do have to say that texting while driving IS very dangerous. I will admit, that I have been guilty of doing it from time to time and have swerved out of lanes more times than not. If you can avoid texting while driving, please do so.

 

Car features aside, American drivers are under the impression they and driving is an event to multi-task. It is of minimal concern how these actions can be grave for them and others on the road. The auto manufacturers respond because the masses who drive, need boundaries and so the hardware is forced on them.

What needs to be initiated is driver re-education.

 

SMS's while driving should be worse than driving under (a bit of) influence...

 

Try sending a text while driving a stick shift car! I've done it a few times and it's not fun

 

Truer words have never been spoken...

 

I can safely say I have never ever text message anyone while driving. It's not because I dont want to, but more because I'm not capable of doing it. I can't function like that

 

I'm sorry, but this is the attitudes like yours that cause manufacturers to limit functionality of navigation systems and such while the car is being driven. You see, when you're driving, its not all about you, you're sharing the road with hundreeds of others around you, and you should concentrate on driving instead of playing with electronics. If you need to pull up directions to the nearest gas station, how hard is it to pull over for a minute and do it?

 

Who are you to decide? We're all presumbably licensed driving adults. You and Toyota have determined what and what will not be acceptable to do while I'm driving my car.

You nor Toyota are my master nor dominant superior. Using your shaky logic, I should be allowed to determine, since you share the road with hundreds of others, what your vehicle should allow you to do.

Since I'm sharing the road with you, I think it's best that we neutralize your radio, disable your hands-free telephone, and since speed is the #1 killer on the highway, govern your engine to allow no more than 55mph, since of course, studies have determined that that is the safest highway speed. Saves gas too. Force you to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. Remember, you're sharing the world, too.

Ridiculous, wouldn't you say?

Probably not, however, unless your selective and arbitrary subjective determinations of what and what should not be allowed to be used while you're driving are predicated on a foundation of common sense, and not a bandwagoneering defense of the nonsensical lockouts on the LS460, you might want to think again about your embrace of the automotive nanny-state.

 

Every so often when I see a conflict between two motorists, one of them has a cell phone in hand and will tell the other drive some choice words followed by something in spanish like, "puedes ver, estoy hablando en mi cell" or can't you see I'm talking on my cell phone".

Ironically, today a co-worker told me he saw a conflict between two female motorists that ended up with the other one saying "estoy en medio de hacer un mensaje text, y tu (spanish profanity excluded) corte en frente de mi tu (spanish profanity excluded)" or I was in the middle of doing a text message and you (profanity) cut in front of me you (profanity)".

 

Easy fix, buy the competition.

 

I have to admit, I love to text message. I average no joke, about 6,000 a month. I have driven and texted and it is dangerous and dumb so I had to tell myself "this is dangerous" and stop myself.

Its about self-control. It sounds great in theory but for the most part we speed, we can watch movies whild driving, we can eat, etc etc in the car.

The person must make an effort to change.

I agree driver re-education is needed. Our ENTIRE driving system is based on cars and roads from the 1950s/1960s.

Everything has changed and driver's courses need to change as well.

 

yea talking/texting/changing the channel/focusing on anything other than driving WHILE driving is a distraciton. i have my little 10 gram bluetooth device, but hardly use it because I find that I tend to either not talk or not watch the road.

I remember this one time that I was talking on the phone via bluetooth and then after I got off the phone, I couldnt remember how I just drove or like what I did while going that stretch of road way. it was maaaad weird.

just drive, you'll enjoy your car more.

 

No, they didn't have to concede. They CHOSE to.

I'm with you, though....I would have thought more highly of them if they hadn't.