safety warning features
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,760
Likes: 69
From: Fayetteville Arkansas recently moved from Oakland Ca
St. Jude Donor '06
safety warning features
Why don't Corvettes have safety features routinely found on other cars? Such as warning of nearby approaching automobiles (side and rear), weaving over line, being too close to car in front etc. I heard it was to keep weight down. If so (a) how much weight can this be and (b) as these cars are mainly driven on public roads isn't safety more improtant?? IMO safety should take prioratory.
Last edited by xlr8rvette; Jan 31, 2021 at 06:39 PM.
Popular Reply
Jan 31, 2021, 07:19 PM
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 2,012
Likes: 1,589
From: Clermont, Florida
Such safety features are unneeded if people simply pay attention to the road.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2020
Posts: 3,813
Likes: 1,249
From: Northeast
Why don't Corvettes have safety features routinely found on other cars? Such as warning of nearby approaching automobiles (side and rear), weaving over line, being too close to car in front etc. I heard it was to keep weight down. If so (a) how much weight can this be and (b) as these cars are mainly driven on public roads isn't safety more improtant?? IMO safety should take prioratory.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 9,156
Likes: 4,001
From: 2019 CMG Z06
All of those features are found in Cadillacs, Tahoes and Blazers. This one is a driver’s car, and in my opinion, I’m happy not to have my seat vibrating and warning alarms going off when I’m enjoying it. Your opinion obviously varies.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 13,602
Likes: 12,864
From: Virginia
Why don't Corvettes have safety features routinely found on other cars? Such as warning of nearby approaching automobiles (side and rear), weaving over line, being too close to car in front etc. I heard it was to keep weight down. If so (a) how much weight can this be and (b) as these cars are mainly driven on public roads isn't safety more improtant?? IMO safety should take prioratory.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,053
Likes: 24,730
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Tadge discussed this previously in a Ask Tadge thread I believe - a search should reveal something.
The C8 has incorporated some of the safety features (i.e., blind spot warning) so GM has at least partially listened.
The C8 has incorporated some of the safety features (i.e., blind spot warning) so GM has at least partially listened.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 2,012
Likes: 955
From: Central Commiefornia
Probably because most 'vette drivers don't want 'em...
Offering them as an option would likely increase the cost of producing a car or make the option prohibitively expensive.
IMO those systems are a good idea, but not really ready for prime time. When I've rented cars with them, I found them nearly as annoying with false alarms and turned 'em off...
Offering them as an option would likely increase the cost of producing a car or make the option prohibitively expensive.
IMO those systems are a good idea, but not really ready for prime time. When I've rented cars with them, I found them nearly as annoying with false alarms and turned 'em off...
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,947
Likes: 6,748
From: Bonneville Salt Flats
Why does every vehicle not have every feature? Why those that it does have? Ask the marketing people, at GM in this case... they, along with the number-crunchers make many such decisions. But, for me, since it IS a sports car I don't want all that crappola, nor half the stuff they did put on it. 
Team Owner
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 45,265
Likes: 8,540
From: Rochester, NY
Cost is the most likely reason and who needs all that crap anyways. Just seems to be no end to what people want but certainly would not be willing to pay for..Try using your mirrors, turning your head, paying attention etc. works great.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 4,303
Likes: 2,055
From: Margate, FL
GM will tell you cost and weight.
However keep in mind the platform came out in 2014 and some of these features weren't common place back then. Due to all the integrated electronics adding such features isn't easy. For example blind spot and cross traffic sensors have to be somewhere, in most vehicles these sensors are hidden into the tail light assembles. The C7's layout simply doesn't allow for this. Same with lane keeping - you need all kinds of sensors, wiring and steering motors to make this work - you can't just add it later because the underlying vehicle architecture doesn't support it. Its like adding ABS, airbags or traction control to an old school muscle car... not going to happen.
However keep in mind the platform came out in 2014 and some of these features weren't common place back then. Due to all the integrated electronics adding such features isn't easy. For example blind spot and cross traffic sensors have to be somewhere, in most vehicles these sensors are hidden into the tail light assembles. The C7's layout simply doesn't allow for this. Same with lane keeping - you need all kinds of sensors, wiring and steering motors to make this work - you can't just add it later because the underlying vehicle architecture doesn't support it. Its like adding ABS, airbags or traction control to an old school muscle car... not going to happen.