Category: Articles & Commentaries

Discussions on topics of interest to drivers concerning things they may not understand about their vehicles as well as articles on the future of the auto industry.

Tragic Incident Points to a Need to Build to Intuition

GM Coupe Escape Lever

Intuition Needed Our mission at DashboardSymbols.com is to make new auto technologies simpler to understand and use so that you can feel safe and secure. Electronics rarely have intuitive solutions when problems arise. We have long railed about car companies making getting in a push-button start car difficult when an electronic issue strikes, but we …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/06/tragic-incident-points-to-a-need-to-build-to-intuition/

Beyond Airbag Recalls: The Danger of Sitting Too Close

Don’t Sit Too Close We retweet important automotive recall notices for the safety of our followers. Lately the vast majority revolve around the widening recall of Takata air bags. Millions of cars and drivers are affected, and in light of this, I couldn’t ignore something that I had seen some months ago. While driving a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/05/beyond-airbag-recalls-the-danger-of-sitting-too-close/

Wait, you were locked IN the car?

Mazda Inside Lock Switch

Locked IN?? A few months ago, an item out of New Zealand relayed a story of an older couple who spent 13 hours locked inside their new keyless start Mazda, and nearly died. They had left the key fob outside the car and mistakenly thought that it was the only way to unlock the car. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/03/wait-you-were-locked-in-the-car/

A Tale of Four Drivers – And the Car Dealers That Failed Them

Fiat instument panel

Four Drivers Car dealers found themselves on the wrong side of three customers who contacted us over the last week or so. They, plus a fourth who skipped his dealer, have something to teach those of us in the auto industry. Number 1 Our first case involved a dying key fob. Fortunately, her car continued …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/03/a-tale-of-four-drivers-and-the-dealers-that-failed-them/

The Single Most Misunderstood Warning Indicator on Your Instrument Panel – Part II

Misunderstood Warning Indicator: Part II This suggests four possible scenarios. The first three assume the light is not flashing: 1) All the tires are low on air (check your spare in the trunk too, if you have one). This occurs seasonally as the weather cools, and possibly several times. Solution? Check the pressures and inflate …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/01/the-single-most-misunderstood-warning-indicator-on-your-instrument-panel-part-ii/

Two Agencies Cite Evidence That Hands Free Is Not Distraction Free

Distracted

Hands Free? Earlier this month, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released a study stating that new vehicle hands free features may actually increase mental distraction. Now, a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) finds that a 2013 truck, train collision at a highway railroad crossing in Maryland was caused in no small …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2014/10/two-agencies-cite-evidence-that-hands-free-is-not-distraction-free/

Seven Things to Know About Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

Know Your TPMS Its Fall (2014) and time once again for your car’s equivalent of Seasonal Affective Disorder, your Tire Pressure Monitoring System or TPMS. If equipped, one of the two TPMS warning indicators shown will soon attempt to get your attention (Drivers most commonly describe the lights as horseshoes with exclamation points or arrows in …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2014/09/seven-things-to-know-about-tire-pressure-monitoring-systems/