It seems that almost as soon as a new idea gets made reality in the world of automobiles, there is another idea to push that achievement even further than before. We moved from carburetors to fuel injection, added GPS systems, and finally made sure that almost every model comes with automatic transmissions. But, has all that actually been an improvement over the old way of driving? Or has it actually caused more problems than it has fixed? To put it in direct terms, is the increased cost and hassle of new technological gizmos in automobiles worth it?
For instance, in the old days if your car keys were stolen or if you lost them, all you would need to do to get a replacement set made from your spare copy would be to head to your local locksmith, or even to a hardware store that could make copies of keys. But today's cars are equipped with electronic locks that require electronic keys.
To get these replaced, you have to visit the dealership, or one of the select few licensed digital blacksmiths who can make a replacement key for you. Why is this process so difficult? Because, rather than a physical key that turns a tumbler within a lock, new electronic lock systems are code based, with a secret signal held in the key being transmitted to the engine when the key is inserted into the ignition. Only licensed professionals, such as dealers, are allowed to access the code stored on your key, or to make a new key that will transport this information. All of this has lead to a large increase, according to the American Automobile Association, in lock outs and other problems related to misplaced keys.
Another problem with computers and electronics that are installed in our vehicles is the simple fact that sometimes they have glitches. Think of the computer you are reading this article on, or about any of the past computers you have used. Can you think of an instance where these electronic devices had a serious problem? You're probably thinking of more than one instance. Now think about your car. How many times has the electronically controlled "service engine soon" light switched on for no reason? And how much did it cost you every visit to the dealer to find out that, in fact, the light was on for no reason?
Now, it would be great if you could simply plug in your car to a computer and that computer could tell you precisely what is wrong with it. But that isn't usually ever the case of how these things work. And, what's more, the added cost makes the scant moments when such a technological achievement occur not worth it. What we need to be asking ourselves is, do we need all this technological junk in our cars?
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