Smart Cars

Remember when auto dashboards had warning lights with pictures and you, like the archeologists looking at Inca cave drawings, would have to figure out what the pictures meant while you were driving? Well now we get written warning messages on our dashboards. For the last few days my car has displayed an “ice warning!” on its dashboard. Is that really necessary? The thermometer is already displayed and I can maybe see if it’s raining or whatever. Then again, should there be other “warnings”, such as:

• “It’s raining – Turn on your wipers"
• “(Baby?) It’s Cold Outside  – Turn on your heat”
• "Music alert – You’ve listened to two crappy songs in a row”
• "Heated seat warning – Your heat warmer’s been on too long and you’re gonna broil somebody”
• “Left turn warning – You’ve made four left turns in a row. You are lost.”
• "You’re Amish and should not be driving”

These smart cars are smarter than you think.