Steering assist; more proof there's no such thing as progress

My new Toyota has this feature called “steering assist,” which as the name implies, is a little bit of artificial intelligence assisting with the steering of your car. It’s not something I asked for – it just comes with the car.

Last time I bought a new Toyota, fifteen years ago, there was no steering assist available, even if you  were the kind of driver who wanted help steering your car.

Which I’m not. I’m quite alright driving my car without assistance, thank you very much.

The back-up camera makes my head spin too… I’ve been backing up with mirrors for over fifty years… but that’s another blog.

So here’s how this steering assist plays out in real life. I typically go into town on Grey Road 1, which follows the shore of Owen Sound bay. In the summer months there are cyclists galore all along this scenic route.

The artificial intelligence in Toyota’s steering assist reads the stripes on the highway. If you veer out of your lane, the steering assist will, without any input from the driver, move you back between the lines.

On a typical trip into Owen Sound in the summer months, I might encounter cyclists half a dozen times. I naturally want to give them a safe clearance as I pass them. The steering assist is always nudging me back into the bicycles.

That’s a recipe for some nasty stuff.