Our car has an automated system which provides an audio alert if there is judged to be too much rain for the journey to continue without stopping to put the hood up. When the noise gets too much for me, I do stop and put the roof up. The automated system then reverts to its normal role of providing over-speed / cornering-speed warning alerts.
When I am alone in the car, then these automated systems are disabled and I have to use my own judgement as to roof, speed and cornering-speed.
There was one occasion when the automated system lost her voice soon after we started a trip down the Fosse Way to see friends in Somerset. Journey time was substantially reduced on that occasion.
That's very interesting Paul. I have noticed that my vehicle also has a similar system, though it addresses a wide number of parameters beyond rain, including: velocity, acceleration, excessive RPMs in any gear (i.e. a rev limiter) and excessive lateral g forces upon cornering. It doesn't seem to like heal-and-toe downshifting for some reason. Also, it seems to constantly evaluate whether the driver is exercising sufficient situational awareness. I must say that the system's limits are set quite conservatively. I have looked in the owner's manual and the original purchase specification to see if the system's alert thresholds can be adjusted somehow but it isn't mentioned anywhere, so it appears to be after-market. I have to admit that I am quite fond of the system, I just wish it was possible to modify when it kicks in. I'm hoping that the limits will organically rise as we get more miles on the car.
