Road Departure Mitigation

Faults and Technical chat for the Honda E
Post Reply
User avatar
londiniumperson
Posts: 1764
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2019 2:37 pm

Post by londiniumperson »

renedekat wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 7:40 am Might I add you could report it to the authorities. If it’s a serious safety issue, they’ll make sure it gets fixed.
Not in the UK, car manufactures will avoid a recall at all costs.

I had a VW Touran on which the ESP system failed, I did some digging before taking it to the manufacturer dealer and initially didn't tell then I knew the most likely cause, they told me that it will cost me £130 to check the car using the diagnostic tool which I they insisted that I would have to pay irrespective of what the fault might be. I knew my legal rights so left them to it.
They came back with the issue I was expecting which was a damaged wiring loom and the cost to replace it was £1500 :roll: with the reason being that the engine had to be dropped to get to it.
I had to put the printed technical bulletin on their desk (just quoting the reference was not enough for them) before they would accept my reasoning for a repair at no cost to me (inc the diag test), because that bulletin actually stated that it was a safety issue and would be repaired FOC.
VW some how avoided a recall, even though they admitted in writing that it was a safety related issue.

Hopefully I won't have to experience anything similar with Honda.
2022 Advance in Crystal Black Pearl on 17's - 08/2020-Current
2015 VW Tiguan (Pure White) - 04/2018-Current
1991 Honda Beat PP1 (Festival Red) - 11/2022-Current

User avatar
londiniumperson
Posts: 1764
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2019 2:37 pm

Post by londiniumperson »

Here is my limited personal experience of RDM, other people may have differing views.

I have not owned a car before with RDM (though I have driven some hire cars with the feature) & have never had any issues where I have felt that it was dangerous, yes it has been a bit annoying but never dangerous in my view. I remember the first time I experienced this was on a Hyundai Tucson where the dash was constantly lighting up like a Christmas tree on winding roads with on coming cars, which would have also been CMBS activating as well as RDM.

Note the below is related to UK roads, each road was driven with each setting once, so not a scientific experiment.
Yesterday evening I went out for a drive specifically to experience/test RDM and here are my findings of last night:

a) I drove a return trip on a standard B road where road markings were varied in quality with a lot missing/worn in places and the speed limits were 30/40/50/60
1) Early: RDM repeatedly activated but not to the point of terminating in the 40 & 50 limits.
2) Normal: No issue RDM never activated.
3) Delayed: No issue RDM never activated.
I drove another B road in a 40/50 limits, but only in Early mode and I could easily make it activate by moving near but not over the centre white lines.

b) A return trip on a narrow winding & undulating B road (60 limit) classified by OS as generally more than 4m wide (there was a 2.0m width restriction), which has no edge lines & the centre lines were barely visible. This I drove in a spirited fashion, or as some might say progressive:
1) Early: RDM repeatedly activated but terminating very soon on both out & return (I reset it before the return).
2) Normal: RDM activated on the straighter parts a couple of times but not to the point of terminating.
3) Delayed: RDM activated once in total, this time at the end of a fairly straight part.

c) A loop of a narrow B road classified by OS as generally less than 4m wide. This was actually very narrow and in most parts as what I would classify as a sunken lane with hedges twice the height of the car where I could not get up to 40mph for more a fraction of a second at a time, most of the time I was driving around 20mph. There were no road markings and the road was undulating & pot holed in places:
1) Early: RDM never activated.
2) Normal: RDM never activated.
3) Delayed: RDM never activated.
I suspect this will be because it could not meet the requirements as stated in the manual p482 & 483.

d) A return trip on a fast A road (speed limit 50 & 60) with good road markings on edges (solid white for most of road) & in centre. This is a well known biker's road, so lots of fast sweeping bends to give you an idea of the road type:
1) Early: RDM activated twice in the short part of the 50 zone where the road was winding & a lot narrower than an average A road (solid double white lines in center & solid on edges).
2) Normal: RDM never activated.
3) Delayed: RDM never activated.

NB - I drove at the speed limit & not slower if possible, i.e. see item c above.

Summary
My experience as detailed above & in the short time that I have owned the Honda I intend to keep RDM set to Delayed and enabled on each journey.
If in the future I find it a distraction, then I might well disable it before each journey.
2022 Advance in Crystal Black Pearl on 17's - 08/2020-Current
2015 VW Tiguan (Pure White) - 04/2018-Current
1991 Honda Beat PP1 (Festival Red) - 11/2022-Current
Larbor
Posts: 226
Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2020 7:20 am

Post by Larbor »

Thank you @iondiniumperson
User avatar
londiniumperson
Posts: 1764
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2019 2:37 pm

Post by londiniumperson »

I'm back again.

Here's an update of RDM on my commute to/from work today.
I inadvertently left RDM on the Early setting and on my drive to work this morning it had disabled itself due to repeated warnings within 3 miles from home which was just before I had reached the dual carriageway. Then it also disabled & re-enabled itself 2 more times over the next 20 miles (of which 12 miles are Motorway).
I put it back into the Delayed setting and it only registered once & that was my fault when I went to change lanes on a quiet section of dual carriageway without indicating.
2022 Advance in Crystal Black Pearl on 17's - 08/2020-Current
2015 VW Tiguan (Pure White) - 04/2018-Current
1991 Honda Beat PP1 (Festival Red) - 11/2022-Current
kbjpick
Posts: 92
Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2020 7:37 pm

Post by kbjpick »

I made a 40 mile round trip on a mixture of B country roads with no markings and wide single carriage A Roads, On the outward trip I received > 8 warnings ranging from white to amber and 1 red RDM warning. On the inward trip I switched it off and received none. I have been driving > 50 years without an accident therefore I generally believe my driving style IS representative. I will be switching RDM off!
User avatar
bogga
Posts: 428
Joined: Wed May 20, 2020 2:41 pm

Post by bogga »

kbjpick wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 7:32 am I will be switching RDM off!
...everytime you get in the car.. and I think that's the real issue.. why can't we have it so it remembers the previous settings!!!
User avatar
advance2020
Posts: 480
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2020 6:21 am
Location: SW Wiltshire
Contact:

Post by advance2020 »

londiniumperson wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:40 pm Here is my limited personal experience of RDM, other people may have differing views.

Summary
My experience as detailed above & in the short time that I have owned the Honda I intend to keep RDM set to Delayed and enabled on each journey.
If in the future I find it a distraction, then I might well disable it before each journey.
Many thanks for this detailed report, and all the driving research required, including the Summary. Above and beyond the call of duty! I will reset my RDM to Normal, for a while just out of interest. And await further update, perhaps later this month, on the benefits you get from keeping RDM Switched On.

My intention is to compile my own detailed report, which I will post on my WordPress blog, hopefully before the end of September. By which time we will no doubt have more contributors on this topic, as New Owners clock up the miles. I will then share the link on this Forum, and invite Comments, before approaching my Dealer and hence Honda.

If my views on my personal Blog post are supported by others, they will be able to take similar action, by sharing the link with their Dealers, and hence Honda.

Our goal is simple. Many would welcome an OFF option, in addition to the existing 3 modes. Whether this is possible to achieve, may well depend on how many support this request. We can but try.
Platinum White Pearl: e-driving green at last, on R17 Michelin Pilot Sport
A fan of One Pedal Driving max >>> and physical buttons
User avatar
londiniumperson
Posts: 1764
Joined: Fri Oct 11, 2019 2:37 pm

Post by londiniumperson »

I support everyone's right to be able to switch RDM off permanently, irrespective of my personal experience of it to date.

I suspect that the reason we can't is due to the governing safety bodies that rate car safety and the resultant Euro NCAP ratings. Therefore by turning it off are we then going to be disadvantaged in the event of an insurance claim if the insurance company deem that action to be a contributing factor to the incident?
2022 Advance in Crystal Black Pearl on 17's - 08/2020-Current
2015 VW Tiguan (Pure White) - 04/2018-Current
1991 Honda Beat PP1 (Festival Red) - 11/2022-Current
User avatar
keithr
Posts: 448
Joined: Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:30 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Post by keithr »

londiniumperson wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 12:10 pm I support everyone's right to be able to switch RDM off permanently, irrespective of my personal experience of it to date.

I suspect that the reason we can't is due to the governing safety bodies that rate car safety and the resultant Euro NCAP ratings. Therefore by turning it off are we then going to be disadvantaged in the event of an insurance claim if the insurance company deem that action to be a contributing factor to the incident?
I hate to keep comparing the Honda to the Nissan LEAF 40kWh that I had, but the Nissan allowed you to permanently turn it off. The LEAF would vibrate the steering wheel if you went over a white line without indicating, and it would also do it at slower town speeds (whereas the Honda only turns the feature on above 40mph). I often have to cross white lines to drive by parked cars, and I don't want to indicate when there are no other cars about, so I quickly turned the option off (permanently) within a day or two of buying the LEAF.

On a recent journey (they're all recent as I've only had the car for a week!) I was driving along an A road when the steering started tugging me over to the left. But I was well within my lane, with at least 1 - 1.5 feet between car and centre line of the road, and a similar distance on the left. It seemed that the car didn't like me not driving precisely in the middle of the lane! I turned it off at that point!
Jeffers
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2020 2:07 pm

Post by Jeffers »

londiniumperson wrote: Wed Sep 09, 2020 12:10 pm I support everyone's right to be able to switch RDM off permanently, irrespective of my personal experience of it to date.

I suspect that the reason we can't is due to the governing safety bodies that rate car safety and the resultant Euro NCAP ratings. Therefore by turning it off are we then going to be disadvantaged in the event of an insurance claim if the insurance company deem that action to be a contributing factor to the incident?
It can’t cancel the insurance or make it void, it’s a feature that is easily disabled by the user. If it was thought of as a factor in determining fault, then the manufacturer would have to assume a degree of liability. No current optional safety system or adaptive cruise system will remove liability from the user whether it’s on or off.

There’s no regulation that forces Honda to reactivate its safety systems at each start up, that’s their own choice. We’ve got a 64kWh Soul that has similar systems but they can be turned off and stay off, and it’s only a few months younger than the e.
The single raindrop never feels responsible for the flood
Post Reply