Lane Keeping Assist - is it compulsory?

[Linds]

My Focus has just been returned from an 18,000 mile service.  Irritatingly I noted that someone has set up the lane keeping assist ... for the life of me I cannot work out how to switch it OFF and remove the silly little icon from my display!  There must be a way because when I first took delivery of the car I had a play and found it to be a complete, utter nonsense (and more of a distraction - when lit green - than an aid) so I switched it off straightaway - and that's OFF, not DOWN!

I live in Suffolk where, compared to many other parts of the UK, the roads are generally kept in good repair.  But, as with everywhere, there is a v wide range of different road types and widths with different or no road markings and I now find myself regularly checking the icon to see if the system is active.  It seems to work on many roads with worn or no markings and then one wonders what it is that will make "the invisible hand" spring into action!

Any help gratefully received!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Just glancing at the online manual for a 2020 Focus. It seems to be the same as my Fiesta - press the little button on the tip of the indicator stalk.

Switching Lane Keeping System On and Off

Press the button on the direction indicator stalk.

[Linds]

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Just glancing at the online manual for a 2020 Focus. It seems to be the same as my Fiesta - press the little button on the tip of the indicator stalk.

It is ... thanks, Eric.  Clearly got myself into a bit of a tiswas and forgot to RTFM!

Thanks again

Linds

[Eric Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, Linds said:

It is ... thanks, Eric.  Clearly got myself into a bit of a tiswas and forgot to RTFM!

No worries. I'd forgotten about it until I spotted your post. When I picked up my car the salesman, who I've dealt with for years, said " now I just know you won't like this" and switched it off before I left the showroom. 

Unfortunately it is compulsory under the next raft of safety measures in 2022 so if you buy a new car then, you either won't be able to turn it off at all, or it will default to "on" every time you switch on the ignition, and you'll have to turn it off every time. I think the latest Mk 8 Golf already does that.

[Botus]

its designed to sell new cars

1) cheaper insurance as its "safer"
2) causes crashes so you need another one

In a thorough review, most women do not feel able to override the assistance and just crash
Much the same thinking is applied to those that like and believe start stop helps - help ruin the engine so they can sell another one is the ONLY reason its on the car just like this dangerous safety feature the post is about .
Its like watching all these "Police going for coffee with the car thieves" TV programmes.  A bloke has scratched his bumper, so along come the fire brigade to cut the roof off

and we wonder why the planet is dead...

 

[Andyr55]

Surely it makes you indicate when changing lanes, which is a good thing. How many times have you been driving when someone just swings over into your lane. That is more likely to cause accidents? 

[RMurphy195]

First of all indicating when changing lanes is a matter of lifelong habit, surely (is for me anyway).

YOu can use the system menu (the thing on the steering wheel) to decide the level of assistance required. And yes, I certainly wouldn't want to have to overcome resistance - any lelel of resistance - to my manouvres, even the warning panels give a momentary distraction at the exact time when it is most inappropriate!

Drifting across lanes on m'way - I do this if there's summat going on on the hard shoulder up ahead, as long as its clear, matter of habit.  Well, not across exactly, but to the extremity of the lane I'm in .

[tonycollinet]

On 11/24/2021 at 11:37 AM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Just glancing at the online manual for a 2020 Focus. It seems to be the same as my Fiesta - press the little button on the tip of the indicator stalk.

Switching Lane Keeping System On and Off

Press the button on the direction indicator stalk.

Brilliant - came here to find out why my lane detect had stopped working and there it is...

Thanks.

[RMurphy195]

You can also twek the effect of the lanekeeping assistance via the menu - page 253 "Lane Keeping Settings". If you haven't already done so its worth exploring what you can do with the settings menu. For example I've stopped the auto mirror fold and the auto wipers, both of which I found more of a nuisance than anything.

The ends of the stalks are a bit of a nuisance, lost count of the number of times I've unwittingly switched the rear wiper on!