Steering the car yourself is one of the joys of driving a car. I rarely drive with automatic steering. Read why!
Audi active lane assist
If someone had told me 20 years ago that ordinary cars could drive themselves, I would have thought they had read too much science fiction. Active lane assist is more advanced than the name suggests. It does not lead the car in a zigzag between the lines, but actively intervenes and keeps a steady course in the middle of the lane - mile after mile. The automatic steering switches off when the driver turns the steering wheel himself. I have seen a video from the USA where an Audi drives on the highway while the driver sits back with his arms crossed for about half an hour. It does not allow "my" Audi. If the hand is away from the self-steering wheel for too long, a message will appear to take over the steering. Guess it's for legal reasons.
The eyes of the car
The automatic steering on "my" car uses the camera behind the interior mirror. The same camera that reads license plates and controls the high beams. If the car had been equipped with Park Assist Plus, the electronics would also have used the radar sensors to monitor traffic along the sides to avoid collisions during lane changes. But normal steering is therefore only based on visual impressions.
Needs more than good eyes
Living people don't just steer with their eyes. We use our eyes to set a course far ahead and check that nothing gets in the way. By holding the steering wheel, we are constantly aware of external factors that affect the car - such as the road, weather and wind. Should a side wind blow the car off course, we feel it on the steering wheel and correct immediately as a spinal reflex. When we correct the steering wheel, we can also feel if we are close to having a wheel slip or if the car is understeering or oversteering. We get to know all this through the steering wheel the second before the car actually changes direction. Today's electronics, on the other hand, do not have access to capture the feeling of the steering wheel. It does not notice the crosswind until the car has actually gone slightly off course. When it then adjusts, we can notice a small throw in the car.
When I'm familiarizing myself with a new car, I only put a few fingertips on the steering wheel as shown in the picture. Then I can feel the forces acting on the front wheels. If the road is correctly dosed in relation to speed, I will be able to feel through my fingers how the car tracks into the bend. When everything is right, the car feels almost autonomous without electronics. This interaction between road, car and driver is not only important for the joy of driving. It is also important for comfort and safety.
Many drivers lack "finger gespitzengefühl"
There is hardly anything more uncomfortable than sitting in the back seat when someone drives with a convulsive grip on the steering wheel and corrects the course completely without feeling the car. Preferably overcorrect so that the car gets a throw back. If you drive with a heavy trailer, a fully loaded car or on slippery surfaces, even a small correction with the steering wheel can have fatal consequences if it breaks the car's track - at the wrong time - for example in an incorrectly dosed turn, during a gust of wind, over a teleport or pothole in the roadway. Then it may be better to let the vehicle wander in the lane and, if necessary, use larger parts of the road.
That's why I rarely use the car's robot steering
It provides better comfort, higher safety and more driving pleasure. It also gives freedom to use the entire lane if necessary. It is part of the interaction in traffic - what separates living people from robots. If I park the car slightly to the right, I invite those close behind to drive past. If there is poor visibility along the edge of the road, I prefer to move towards the center line to create a safety zone. There are countless reasons why one wants to use the entire field - and sometimes the whole way. That's how you drive on a daily basis. Decisions are made via "spinal cord", not via the brain. Not until the automatic steering tries to pull the car into the center of the lane again.
Not all cars are equally communicative
When I recently drove the Suzuki S-Cross, I noted that the steering did not convey any signals at all, especially around the center position. The Suzuki ran well, but lacked this important interaction between car and driver. Without feeling in the steering - and unaccustomed to driving without steering feel - I noticed that "my" car wandered on the road on a straight motorway. I felt like a beginner.
Might as well let a robot rule 😐
Audi Active Lane Assist only works at speeds above 65 km/h. It is activated with a button at the far end of the left steering wheel lever. If the car is also equipped with Park Assist Plus, exploits Active Lane Assist the radar sensors to detect situations where it is necessary to steer out of one's own lane. Together with Adaptive Cruise Control newer Audis can go a long way to driving themselves. Driver assistance systems that use the camera switch themselves off in fog and poor visibility.
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