Who else turns off Blind Spot Monitoring?

[1911tex]

Our Outback has it also and saved my behind once...I like it! My side vision keeps me aware in case some idiot going super fast decides at the last minute to change lanes behind me. Its called awareness!

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[Tracy Bowman]

I may be in the minority, but I like BLIS. It's saved my butt quite a few times.

Me too.

 

[D Fresh]

I leave it on, but I have seen better implementations. My girlfriend test drove a Honda a while back that had actual cameras mounted in the side mirror housings. When you hit the blinker the camera would come on so you could actually see the blind spot area. Neat idea, but they should have put the viewscreen in the dash instead of the center/radio screen...

I don't mind any tech that helps me out...

Agreed. Test drove a 3 dr Civic Si a few years back when I got my FiST. I like the idea of it. But dislike the screen location as well. On the dash right by the mirror on a dedicated screen would be better. Their solution now asks you to look 2 different places that isn't the road. Also, I dislike that it's only on passenger side.

My wife's CX-5 has the best setup I've seen. Very much like Ford's with the addition of a warning tone when you activate your turn signal to the side that indicates a vehicle present.

 

[RANGER_MARC]

I feel like it is honestly a useless system. My mirrors are aimed the "correct" way so I cannot see the side of my truck in them. So I don't actually have a "blind spot." I don't have little convex stick-on mirrors. Just the factory mirrors.

I can't stand how Ford has implemented the BLIS. I have driven other cars that, when you turn on your signal and there is a vehicle in the "blind spot" you would get an audible chime and an alert in your gauge cluster. Similar to how the cross traffic alert SCREAMS at you when someone is driving across the parking lot from where you are (also disabled for being too sensitive).

Instead, a little light comes on in the mirror. That's it.

If you are looking at the mirror to see the little light why not just look for traffic in your blind spots? It's just useless, IMO, and I find it disappointing that Ford made such a poor, useless system.

That "little light" has prevented me from turning in front of oncoming traffic numerous times. As you say, it would be even more helpful, that is, safer for all concerned, if a beeper would sound and/or light would flash on the gauge cluster. So, sure, I leave it on because it is better than nothing, and too sensitive is safer than not sensitive enough.

 

[Trigganometry]

Later on in our trucks lifecycle when stuff starts breaking or dying BLISS one day decides it’s going to die too. But it didn’t tell you it did. That’s when you wipe the guy that’s minding his own business right off the road.

Sometimes we become dependent on a good thing. Only to find out later on that that extra look is worth it.

Don’t be that one!

 

[khyros]

Fun fact (though now I can't find a source for it, so perhaps take it with a grain of salt) - you're more likely to end up in an accident if you do the head swivel than if you just used your mirror but kept your head facing forward. The rationale that explained the data was two fold. 1) If there's someone you would be merging into, they are likely to avoid the collision, and 2) If travel suddenly stops in front of you and you're not paying attention, you have no recourse.

I personally would have preferred to get my truck without BLIS because I prefer the spotter mirror. And I added a spotter mirror to the lower outside of my mirrors. However, having both now, I have found the shortcomings of each, and adapt. Spotter mirrors actually aren't the best at night, or if the mirrors are quite dirty. But BLIS isn't great at red lights when you want to quickly merge over. Neither system is foolproof, which is why I have a noggin between my ears. But the one thing I don't do, is swivel the head.

 

[brockdog12]

I like the backup camera, but I really don't rely on the safety "tech" on my truck. Lane keep monitoring feels like an out of balance tire, collision avoidance goes off at random, blind spot monitoring I really don't notice, I still turn and look like I was taught decades ago when I was learning to drive. This may be great stuff for some, but to me, a lot of this stuff is nothing but distracting and can take the drivers focus and mind off the road.

 

[mtbikernate]

I use pretty much all of the assistance stuff.

The lane keeping, I'm kinda meh on. Works reasonably well on the freeway, but twisty country roads less so. Also, paint splatters throw it off, and that's irritating.

BLIS, cross-traffic, and pre-collision I like. I especially like that BLIS adjusts to account for my trailer. Sure, cross-traffic and pre-collision warnings are a bit on the sensitive side, but as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing. the cross-traffic warning makes me ramp up my attention to see what set it off. the most sensitive the pre-collision has been has just preempted my own action (I've already decided I'm taking action, but the warning goes off before I have actually slowed down), which is fine.

Sure, the BLIS notifications could be a little more obvious. I could stand for a tone if there's someone there when I signal for a lane change. but I often turn on my signal while someone is there, with the intent that I'll merge after they've passed me. but this is the first vehicle I've owned with any sort of electronic safety/warning features and I appreciate them.

 

[gttafoya]

Mirrors adjusted the correct way (same as OP) so I don't really need the BS monitor(pun Intended). I do have all the sensors on and set to max sensitivity. I figure since i paid for them, might as well use them. I still don't trust them at all and probably never will.

Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it!

Plus, I don't want to get upset when I get my next new car and all these sensors and the A/S/S can't be turned off (For your safety).

The most annoying one is the Keep your hands on the steering wheel alert. MY HANDS ARE ON THE WHEEL!!!! Why is Ford having me swerve down my lane? A lot of my driving is down long strait roads and get the warning which seems like every minute of a 30 minute drive. I would rather have a longer interval than turning it off. Forscan Fix???

 

[Langwilliams]

I have never gotten the "Hands on Wheel" prompt.... I have gotten the cup of coffee warning. Usually it's when some dumbass is going 63 miles an hour in the left lane an everyone is moving side to side in the lane to figure out who the D!c( head is.

 

[IdahoRanger]

mine goes off, but only on long drives, and only rarely
my understanding is that it monitors numerous factors.
some of which have been proven indicators of a person falling asleep at the wheel. you said it yourself, be better having it and not needing it, then needing it and not having it.
i hear if you open the door it resets.

Driver Alert System
The Driver Alert System is designed to help alert drowsy drivers by monitoring the vehicle's movement compared to lane markings that are tracked by a camera mounted on the windshield. If the system detects a driving pattern consistent with a drowsy driver, a first-level chime will sound and a coffee cup warning will appear on the dashboard instrument cluster to recommend the driver take a break.

If the driver does not respond to this alert and the system continues to sense the driver is fatigued, another warning and chime will be issued. Drivers can monitor their condition on the dashboard at any time, even without receiving warnings. If they approach the yellow warning range, they should rest as soon as possible.

All information is reset as soon as the driver stops and either opens the door or turns off the engine. More than 40 percent of Americans say they have fallen asleep or nodded off while driving, according to a survey conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Just did an 1850 mile trip and tried like hell to see if the system works and couldn't get a warning. Guess I should have taken a longer nap in the driver seat.

 

[khyros]

Just did an 1850 mile trip and tried like hell to see if the system works and couldn't get a warning. Guess I should have taken a longer nap in the driver seat.

My understanding is that the driver alertness actually benchmarks your driving in the first 5 minutes, then compares how many corrections you make to stay in your lane back to the baseline. But that's different from the 'key hands on wheel' alert... That pops up when the truck doesn't sense any driver's input and is a gov't regulation because the lane keeping assist (plus adaptive cruise) is not supposed to drive your truck - so Ford is required to yell at you if it doesn't sense you driving your truck. Unfortunately, on long straightaways, a well aligned truck doesn't need steering inputs. Does it still yell at you if LKA is turned off though?

 

[UncleBob]

The only annoyance I have with Blind Spot Warning is when I am in the right lane of a two lane left turn pocket with my turn signal on and another car drives up on my left. system is not smart enough to recognize the situation. Otherwise it is a good safety feature. Anyone who says they have ‘never’ been surprised by a vehicle seemingly come out or nowhere, is only deceiving themselves.

 

[El Renno]

Even if you "have your mirrors adjusted correctly", I guarantee you WILL still have a blind spot. It's a safety feature and it works. And if you're looking at your mirrors, then that little light is impossible to miss. Do you really need a chime to go with it? Leave it on. It's not hurting anything. It's not impeding your ability to operate your vehicle.

 

[hughesjv]

I feel like it is honestly a useless system. My mirrors are aimed the "correct" way so I cannot see the side of my truck in them. So I don't actually have a "blind spot." I don't have little convex stick-on mirrors. Just the factory mirrors.

I can't stand how Ford has implemented the BLIS. I have driven other cars that, when you turn on your signal and there is a vehicle in the "blind spot" you would get an audible chime and an alert in your gauge cluster. Similar to how the cross traffic alert SCREAMS at you when someone is driving across the parking lot from where you are (also disabled for being too sensitive).

Instead, a little light comes on in the mirror. That's it.

If you are looking at the mirror to see the little light why not just look for traffic in your blind spots? It's just useless, IMO, and I find it disappointing that Ford made such a poor, useless system.

Just today, on my way home from work, I noticed it was on to the left of me and I thought, why is that on I don't see anyone or anything. I looked over my shoulder and still saw no one. After a few seconds it was still on, so I looked again over my shoulder and there was a little light blue car (like air colored) in a blind spot despite my thinking the mirrors were adjusted so I could see anything. I think I am a fan of the system as if I had tried to get over I would have run over that little pale blue car.

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