If you wreck after your car tries to wake you, will it testify against you?

[Doggy Daddy]

The title is somewhat self-explanatory, but I'll elaborate a bit.

I was just loafing in bed, scratching the dog's belly and watching TV.  A commercial came on for the Mercedes M class.  They claim that the car will attempt to attempt to assist in waking a sleepy driver.  Is that a desired feature?  I can see the safety benefits, but suppose it tries to wake you and then a short time later you're in a wreck.  I'll bet that attempt at alerting you is stored somewhere.  And I'll bet it won't take some fine legal mind long to figure out that they can subpoena that record and use it against you.

So, I have several questions.  And, admittedly, I haven't attempted to google the answers.  I'd rather rely on the sharp minds and extensive experience of teh APS hive.

1)  How does this feature work?
      a) How does it detect a sleepy driver?
      b) How does it attempt to wake them?

2)  Is a record kept of the attempt?

3)  Am I being overly paranoid about the possible legal aspects?

4)  Would you buy a car with this feature?


FTR,  I am NOT in the market for a Mercedes. 

DD

[Perd Hapley]

If it could actually wake me up after I've nodded off behind the wheel, I think I'll take the trade-off of liability issues.

[French G.]

I'm going to guess it detects sleepy driver by erratic control inputs or if it's really cool by eye movement. For alerting I'm guessing Bitching Betty and maybe lighting changes. Now to google.

[French G.]

Yeah, it's control inputs. The two neat facts are that the sensors profile your driving at the start of your trip and then use that as the baseline. Well, don't be falling asleep when you leave the house. Then, it is active from 80-180kph. So, if you want to get down and fall asleep at 230 kph, well it's on you.

Not really Betty, but audible chimes and dashboard alert. Let me design the system. It would turn off the heated seat, roll down all the windows and blast Rammstein at max volume. You'd wake up.

And yeah, all telemetry is recorded. Which is why I want Gunsmith's truck.

Linky: http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-1210218-1-1210332-1-0-0-1210228-0-0-135-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html

Edit to add: If you're not paranoid it doesn't mean they're not out to get you. Black box has been used on bogus warranty claims and in accidents already.

I'd buy a car with this, most high tech I've wheeled is a 2007 C Class, but I don't want it to be the only car. All new cars are recording telemetry, but the Onstar thing is recording that as well as anything else that goes on in your car. If I can't uninstall On-Star, I won't own it. I need to get my 70 bug on the road and replace my 77 dually with something of similar vintage but more fuel and space efficient.

[Doggy Daddy]

Black box has been used on bogus warranty claims and in accidents already.

As have cell phone records.

DD

[charby]

As have cell phone records.

DD

Insurance companies will do whatever it takes not to pay a claim.

[Doggy Daddy]

Insurance companies will do whatever it takes not to pay a claim.

[offtopic]So will home warranty companies! (IME)    [/offtopic]

DD

[CNYCacher]

Lack of steering microcorrections and possibly other strange inputs.  The systems I have seen use audible alarms and in some cases tug on your seatbelt.

[Hawkmoon]

Edit to add: If you're not paranoid it doesn't mean they're not out to get you. Black box has been used on bogus warranty claims and in accidents already.

Yep. My bother is a retired BMW service manager. Going back at least seven or eight years, possibly even ten, he told me about a guy whose new BMW something-or-other was towed in. A quick look suggested some internal damage to the engine, so my brother immediately told the "technician" to stop what he was doing and download the contents of the engine computer. Whatever the redline was on that model (7000 RPM, maybe) the computer dump showed the guy was habitually exceeding it by 1000 to 1500 RPM -- right up the the moment the engine ceased to cooperate. Naturally, when they called the guy and told him he was going to have to pay for a new engine he insisted he had never even gotten near the redline. So my brother showed him the printout ...

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

I don't want the car to wake me up. I want a bloody autopilot!

[Hawkmoon]

4)  Would you buy a car with this feature?

I drive a 2000 Jeep, with a "dumb" ECU that doesn't spy on me 24/7. Knowing that the newer vehicles have ECUs that also function as black boxes is enough to keep me seriously intent on preserving the old Jeep as long as I possibly can.

In fact, I saw one of about the same vintage on a small used car lot on the way home from church today, and I am seriously tempted to go back and buy it. Drive the clunker and store mine in the garage until the clunker finally gives up.

[Stand_watie]

I don't want the car to wake me up. I want a bloody autopilot!

I want to die peacefully in my sleep like grampa...not screaming in terror like the passengers riding in his car!

[charby]

[TommyGunn]

ooops .  deleted.

[BryanP]

Insurance companies will do whatever it takes not to pay a claim.

That hasn't been my experience. Every time I've made a legitimate claim against my insurance (auto or homeowners) they've paid it out, no questions asked.

Heck, when I made a homeowners claim against all the stuff that was stolen from a hotel room, Allstate mentioned things we didn't think of.  We had to replace my wife's driver's license.  They asked if there was a cost associated with that.  We weren't going to bother, but they added the $8 it cost us to replace the DL into the claim and paid it.

[Doggy Daddy]

Heck, when I made a homeowners claim against all the stuff that was stolen from a hotel room, Allstate mentioned things we didn't think of.

I appreciate you saying that.  I'm not affiliated with Allstate in any way, nor am I insured by them.  But, I like to tuck things like that away in my mind in case I'm ever considering a change.  I have no complaints with my current insurance, but I see myself reviewing my coverage here in a few months.  I've been with my current agent/company for around 10 years, covering both house and car.  I think they may be getting a bit too comfortable about my business.[/offtopic]

DD

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

That hasn't been my experience. Every time I've made a legitimate claim against my insurance (auto or homeowners) they've paid it out, no questions asked.

Heck, when I made a homeowners claim against all the stuff that was stolen from a hotel room, Allstate mentioned things we didn't think of.  We had to replace my wife's driver's license.  They asked if there was a cost associated with that.  We weren't going to bother, but they added the $8 it cost us to replace the DL into the claim and paid it.

small claims?  absolutely.  wait till you get a real claim the kind that you really need insurance for. then you find another face to the companies i've dealt with.  i used to routinely refer my fire restoration customers to a lawyer. and even after paying the lawyer they came out way ahead

[BryanP]

small claims?  absolutely.  wait till you get a real claim the kind that you really need insurance for. then you find another face to the companies i've dealt with.  i used to routinely refer my fire restoration customers to a lawyer. and even after paying the lawyer they came out way ahead

Ah.  The largest claim I've had to make was for a new roof after hail damage.  I had to wait while they sent an inspector, but that was all.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

i had such great service on claims up to 20 k that it amazed me.

a good example of the c/s they pull on big claims? i did a complete gut to the studs and sheathing fire job over in mtnbkrs hood. at the time drywall bought delivered hung and finished was about 22 bucks a sheet. the insurance company would pay 16  might have been 16.50.  when i made some noise their adjuster said "i know but thats all they will let me pay.  tell you what how many dumpsters you gonna pull outa here? 3? bill me for 6 to make up the difference.  so basically their rep told me to commit a felony to get a fair price and he signed off on it. had i not stood up  someone woulda hada pay the difference either me outa my profit or the homeowner. and there is a constant struggle to get them to fulfill the replacement value aspect of the policy

[MechAg94]

My Dad always said having his insurance pay out wasn't the problem, it was that they would pay anyone and then jack his insurance rates up.   

That said, I have never had a big home claim.  I just had some minor water damage right after I moved in due to a partially blocked sewage line.  Worked fine until I hooked up the clothes washer. 

[MillCreek]

I had a $ 23,000 claim after my washing machine overflowed all night and flooded the first floor of the house.  The claims process was easy and straight-forward.  No problems to report.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

the place they chisel is on replacement value.  they will set you up in a rental then want you to buy your replacement clothes and furniture while in the smaller place. seen/heard adjusters tell em that they have 90 days to buy it all.  thats bull.