GM's reverse light problem

[radroach]

Just a rant here. Wondering who else noticed this.

Say you're walking in a parking lot behind rows of cars, and a Chevy Suburban is sitting there with it's reverse lights on. Oh, you think, better walk the other way where they might see you, so you cross the lot away from the car and pass by checking their mirrors, and see there's no driver, it's just parked with its brake lights on. So you now feel like an idiot.

Or imagine you're looking for a space, oh look there's a Suburban driver thinking about backing out because their reverse lights are on. And so you wait, and wait and then realize that they're not going to leave, and their drivers seat is actually empty.

Now imagine this happening every time from now on, because fuck you GM decides now what's standard. Seriously, DOT should be all up GM's ass over this. Last night I had a situation where I thought a suburban was going to back into me from its blind spot, instead it was just parked as well.

[Cole]

I feel like with some simple situational awareness, you wouldn't have this problem.

[Tcoat]

No doubt the GM owners are no happier about the issue than you are. Can't say I have ever noticed any on around here.

[Packofcrows]

We don't want to bail them out again. So DOT is deaf to this.

[Lonewolf]

So funny that I see this thread tonight. I just saw a person in a parking lot waiting patiently for a Silverado to pull out of a spot for more than a minute thinking that the driver was leaving...this is annoying

[Ultramaroon]

Well, that's just fucking stupid.

Fail.

[PandaSPUR]

Never noticed this before, but wow that sounds stupid.

[AdamIsAdam]

I HATE THIS "FEATURE" that is in all GM cars now. My family owns 3. It was the first thing I noticed and said that this should not be legal! They hit the key fob to unlock the doors and the backup lights are on. Terrible idea! Cars parked in lots cause all kinds of confusion.

[mdm]

This problem must have been around for quite a while, a cursory google brought up rants about it from 2011. Very stupid solution by GM, though I must admit I have never noticed so maybe it's not that bad. Or is is benefit of my impatience: if I see a GM SUV with reverse lights on, I usually don't wait fo the spot. Because I know that often it will take them 15 minutes to manouver out even if they really start now.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by AdamIsAdam

I HATE THIS "FEATURE" that is in all GM cars now. My family owns 3. It was the first thing I noticed and said that this should not be legal! They hit the key fob to unlock the doors and the backup lights are on. Terrible idea! Cars parked in lots cause all kinds of confusion.

This is not what we are talking about here. Many cars have the reverse lights come on for a minute or so with the fob and that can be very handy in the dark. The GM trucks have a problem where the lights stay on when they should not be. I never heard of the issue until this thread but a quick search shows it is a big problem.

[mdm]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I never heard of the issue until this thread but a quick search shows it is a big problem.

If an active driver in a country where GM vehicles are quite popular needs a google search to learn that there is a problem (though the issue apprently has been around for years), maybe it's not a BIG problem.

[Cole]

Originally Posted by mdm

If an active driver in a country where GM vehicles are quite popular needs a google search to learn that there is a problem (though the issue apprently has been around for years), maybe it's not a BIG problem.

I drive a 2015 Silverado and have never noticed the lights staying on. They come on for less than a minute (I think, never timed it, because I really don't care at all) and if your day is that fucked up because of them, I'll say it again, maybe your situational awareness needs to be increased.

[mdm]

Just to be clear. I think that traffic may be safe and smooth when drivers are able to read other drivers' intentions, which of course depends much on these other drivers signaling their intentions properly.

So I hate people who don't use their turn signals BEFORE starting a maneuver.

I hate that in North America rear turn signals may be red and combined with brake lights.

And I hate the feature we are discussing here, it's a bad solution.

I am just saying that in reality it may not as big issue as some other things.

Still it's yet another design flaw from the human-machine-interface point of view, and it seems that car manufacturers, pursuing novelty or misdirected "comfort", have been putting plenty of such flaws in the cars recently. Example: Anton Yelchin.

[radroach]

@Cole no, it is because of my situational awareness that it causes me problems. I don't just walk blindly past cars with their reverse lights left on.

There's no defending it. It goes against safety standards and function that have been long established.