The art of driving (1) - Preparing and starting the engine
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Summary
In the series "The art of driving" from the pioneering days of the automobile, the relevant aspects of using and maintaining the car at that time will be addressed and discussed in detail in several parts. We will start with the activities involved in preparing and starting the engine. This article summarizes long-forgotten knowledge about the difficulties of starting an engine in an entertaining way and is illustrated with contemporary images.
This article contains the following chapters
- The modern motor car
- Checking before setting off
- Starting the engine
- An extraordinary starting aid
Estimated reading time: 7min
Preview (beginning of the article)
ZEIT ONLINE recently asked Jürgen Leohold, Head of Research at VW, whether he understands drivers who feel patronized or even incapacitated by electronics? He takes this skepticism very seriously, but it is factually unfounded, said the professor. The potential danger in cars definitely does not come from assistance systems, but rather the other way around: he knows from accident research that in more than 95 percent of all cases, the cause lies with the human driver, who ultimately loses control. The driver could be overtired or distracted by many other factors. This is precisely where VW comes in with innovative assistance systems to minimize the risk of accidents for vehicle occupants. ZEIT ONLINE countered that a malfunction of an assistance system had occurred in a VW test vehicle on the highway. When overtaking on a three-lane highway, two trucks had engaged in an elephant race. The assistance system emitted a loud warning tone and braked abruptly, even though the third lane was completely free. According to Mr. Leohold, what the journalist experienced was unfortunately a misjudgement. This happens with all systems on the market today. This is due to the imperfection of today's image recognition. The systems are not yet perfect, and that is precisely why he says: "Cruise control with automatic distance control is not an autopilot, but a supporting comfort system. The driver remains responsible today and will remain so in the future."
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