I get the frustration, but honestly, from a family car owner's perspective, locked-down settings aren't always a bad thing. I've had my share of "customization" mishaps—like when my kid accidentally reset the infotainment system and I spent an hour figuring out how to get the radio presets back. Step-by-step instructions are great, but sometimes simpler is better. Still, it'd be nice if manufacturers offered a middle ground—maybe an advanced menu hidden behind a few extra taps or something?
I get your point about locked-down settings being helpful, especially with kids messing around in the car. But honestly, manufacturers could easily offer a compromise—like you said, maybe an advanced menu that's just slightly hidden or requires a confirmation step. I mean, how hard would that really be? I remember when my brother borrowed my car and somehow managed to change the language settings to French. Took me forever to fix it because everything was suddenly in a language I couldn't read...
Still, I guess from an insurance perspective, simpler setups might mean fewer distractions and fewer claims overall. But I'm skeptical that locking everything down is the best solution. Maybe a balance between ease of use and customization would keep everyone happy.
Yeah, I totally get your frustration with the language issue...been there myself when my kids decided to "explore" the touchscreen. But do you think a hidden advanced menu might still tempt some drivers into messing around more than they should? Maybe that's the insurance companies' thinking—fewer options, fewer distractions? Either way, you're right, a middle ground would definitely make sense, especially if it saves us from surprise French lessons mid-drive, lol.
Haha, surprise French lessons mid-drive—been there, done that. Honestly though, I think you're onto something with the hidden advanced menu idea, but it could actually be a good compromise if done right. For example, some cars I've seen have a simple lockout feature: you can access advanced settings only when parked with the handbrake engaged. That way, curious fingers (kids or otherwise) can't accidentally trigger language adventures at 60 mph.
Insurance companies probably do prefer fewer distractions overall, but if manufacturers implemented something like this, it'd give us more flexibility without compromising safety. Plus, it might save us from those awkward moments when your GPS suddenly insists on directions in German halfway through a road trip...trust me, not fun trying to guess what "links abbiegen" means while merging lanes.
Had a claim once where the driver swore his GPS randomly switched to Japanese mid-trip. He panicked, missed his exit, and ended up clipping a guardrail. Not exactly fun explaining that one to insurance... Anyway, your lockout idea makes sense, but I wonder if manufacturers would actually adopt it widely. Ever seen any aftermarket solutions that handle this kinda thing? Might be easier than waiting for car companies to catch up.
