Driving drudgery down
By David Zizzo
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Published: October 8, 2009
Thank goodness for cars. If it weren’t for these mechanical marvels, we’d have no place to sit while waiting in line at the Krispy Kreme drive-through.
Autos have made our lives much easier. And they have come a long way since the early days when they were just rolling, climate-controlled living spaces with automatic transmissions, map lights, cupholders, power moonroofs and adjustable lumbar supports.
Today, technology has eliminated much of the drudgery of driving, such as excessive movement of extremities.
For instance, thanks to advancements, driving no longer means having to move your hand all the way to the light switch just because it’s getting dark. Light sensors can handle that annoying task for you.
And wipers. How many times have you seen raindrops hit your windshield and thought, "Great, now I have to move my hand all the way to the wiper switch, and after that, I have to twist it?” Not anymore. With rain-sensing infrared devices, you’re covered.
What about that "entertainment system” way over there on the dash? Fuggedaboutit. Just tap a button on your steering wheel. Channels changed, volume cranked. All without taking your knees, I mean hands, off the steering wheel.
For further drudgery reduction to eliminate chafing, slow turns and reduce lifting and unsightly auto appendages, you can get heated and cooled seats, headlights that peek around corners and power tailgates, folding seats and running boards.
I’m no Luddite. I own several GPS receivers, and I know that HDMI, S-video and component inputs control roll, pitch and yaw.
But are cars getting too complex with computers that remember mirror, seat and radio settings and sensors that measure oxygen level and crank angle?
Do we really need stuff on cars such as headlight washers and devices that monitor your blind zone, keep you from drifting out of your lane and parallel park for you?
Of course, we do. They free up our hands and eyes for our
iPods.
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