03/09/2026
Too much tech?
One of the comments we hear most often is, "Can it be turned off?" The reality is that many of the systems fitted to modern cars aren't there because customers have been asking for them. They're there because manufacturers have to meet increasingly stringent safety, emissions and regulatory standards.
In many cases, yes, these features can be turned off, but only temporarily. The next time you start the car, they automatically reactivate. That's not because manufacturers are trying to frustrate drivers, it's simply the framework they now have to work within.
I can remember a time when buyers would actively avoid even relatively simple technology because they worried there was "more to go wrong". Fast forward to today and the amount of technology packed into a modern car is incredible. The irony is that most drivers probably only use a fraction of the features available to them and many are unaware of just how much capability their car actually has.
Yet for all the complaints about bings, bongs and driver assistance systems, I suspect that if someone offered a brand-new car with a 1990s specification, minimal safety equipment and a one-star safety rating at a lower price, there wouldn't be many takers. The truth is that modern cars are undeniably safer, cleaner and more capable than ever before.
Are they better in every respect? Perhaps not. But technology, regulation and customer expectations have moved on, and the modern car is simply a reflection of that reality.
"Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master." Christian Lous Lange
