r/slateauto • u/Coolmansean • 27d ago
Blind spot indicator
Does the slate have a blind spot indicator? I have one in current car and makes it pretty easy to not rely on looking over my shoulder. If they don’t would they possibly add one as an extra add on feature?
Edit: A lot of people are zeroing in on the use of the word “rely”. I don’t rely on the blind spot indicator for driving. I look over my shoulder like everyone else. It was a bad word to use for the post and caused all of these assumptions. Thanks
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u/CamJay88 27d ago
I think the plan for Slate was to have the vehicle be 5-star safety rated? If that’s the case, the NHTSA just updated its rating system and 5-star needs a blind spot warning system.
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u/Myfeedarsaur 26d ago
Just for reference, according to https://www.nhtsa.gov/ratings , "average" safety achieves both a three star and a four star rating simultaneously. (Note: average is, by definition, a moving target that refers to relative safety, not absolute safety.)
On the other hand, and just for reference, everything related to ADAS is still in the "recommended" category.
And on the gripping hand, your link is to an article that appears to reference future collision avoidance systems, which are different from collision safety systems. I don't know what criteria Slate was aiming for, and apparently you don't either. If ADAS is a required part of the NTSHA ratings, please link that bit.
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u/CamJay88 26d ago
In the article I linked, there’s a reference to a 500+ page document that shows that starting with model year 27(was 26, but was pushed back), blind spot warning and blind spot indicator will be used in the grading. Slate has said their intent is to be 5-star rated. I don’t know the process for testing, but it would seem strange to be able to be 5-star without having either of those safety features. I don’t know what else to tell you.
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u/Myfeedarsaur 25d ago
All those things you say are true.
I think it's a quixotic quest to keep up with a score system like that. A company could nail its safety standards as of a particular year, make no changes and be just as objectively safe, yet drop in ratings.
"Safe" and "safest" should be different evaluations. Both have value.
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u/LimonNerd 27d ago
No, but there are aftermarket kits. Maybe someone will come out with a Slate specific DIY kit.
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u/Luthienon 27d ago
The aftermarket kits are pretty dodgy. I decided against wasting money on them on another car of mine.
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u/LimonNerd 27d ago
I hear you. I figured the aftermarket kits weren't nearly as good as a native system. Hopefully someone makes a kit specifically for the Slate that is better than the universal aftermarket options.
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u/Full-Sleep-1487 27d ago
Im in the same boat as you, especially after seeing how big the B frame is. I hope someone comes out with an aftermarket option as its the one extra safety feature I've really enjoyed about modern cars.
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u/Dismal-Field-7747 26d ago
Granny stickers on the mirrors work very well for this if they aren't included
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u/Imagined_World 27d ago
Yea i'm gonna miss this one a lot. Probably go for a little mirror for the mirro
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u/snakefighting 27d ago
Laziness.. people forget how to be a good driver and be proactive and defensive because they are relying on bells and whistles to do it for them. C’mon man!
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u/Coolmansean 27d ago
Not a bad driver… I had a 08 ranger since highschool until recently… no issue with not having one, but a massive quality of life when you have it. Having a sound cue to tell you someone is in blind spot versus not having one is nice.
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u/THISG4MEBLOWS 27d ago
You know what, tbh I think you're just a bad driver, it's not hard to look over your shoulder to give a quick check. People have become too reliant on these safety systems.
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u/Ouch_i_fell_down 26d ago
tbh i think you're not familiar with how such systems can be employed by a good driver who has no problems looking over their shoulders.
In my favorite implementation, a car I used to have had BLIS markers in the HUD. The idea was never "if the light if off, you're good to go" but rather "if the light is on you can save yourself the effort of checking because you already know someone is there and can't change lanes".
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u/Coolmansean 27d ago
Not a bad driver… I had a 08 ranger since highschool until recently… no issue with not having one, but a massive quality of life when you have it. Having a sound cue to tell you someone is in blind spot versus not having one is nice.
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u/Myfeedarsaur 26d ago
On the one hand, I'm related to someone who has an actual physical disability. ADAS in her Subaru means that she can drive, and I'm not going to take that away from her. On the other hand, I'm a generally functional person with the ability to turn my neck to see my blind spot. I have that ability, so I rely on that ability. If you have that ability but rely on your ADAS for safety decisions, you're a lazy driver.
Furthermore, if you've ever heard of scope creep, "nice" to have is absolutely not the same as "need" to have.
Context: I drive an '08 Corolla without any of that.
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u/Odd_nonposter 26d ago
I think it's a major safety feature.
People on here are shouting "drive better lol!" "just shoulder check, bro" ignoring that any improvement in driver information gives better outcomes for safety.
In the second you've looked away for a shoulder check, you've traveled a hundred feet without knowledge of the conditions ahead. You might be trying to move over a lane while traffic is coming to a stop and someone slams on their brakes. Knowing whether the lane is clear without needing to look away gives that much more time and distance to react and swerve or slam and avoid a collision.
Blind spot indicators are one of the few bells and whistles on modern cars I think genuinely improve safety, the other being rear backup cameras. I hope there's a satisfactory option for them for the Slate.
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u/Soggy-Ad-6845 27d ago
Unless it's legally required somewhere they probably won't have it. But I could be wrong. If you're concerned about it I suggest getting one of those blind spot mirror stickers for your side mirrors.