A nifty gadget from Ford seems like a waste to some critics. Then again, when you see how it could help cancer survivors, you'll see how Active Park Assist can make a real difference in the lives of some drivers.
I must admit that when I heard a few years back that Toyota would outfit select Lexus models with a self parking feature I thought to myself,
“Those wimps! I learned to drive in a 1969 Chrysler Newport convertible, a car that had the worst blind spot imaginable.”
Well, no one asked for my opinion back then and I'm sure they aren't about to beat down my door now for my thoughts, especially as the Ford Motor Company has announced that they, too, will offer parking assist beginning next summer in its full sized Lincoln MKS sedan and in its all new crossover, the Lincoln MKT.
Yes, gadget madness is alive and well and Ford has joined the fray. Critics have chimed in to suggest that Ford should direct limited resources to building products and other stuff that people really want. Some have suggested that Ford is wasting money, doing the sort of thing that is contributing to its current financial woes.
But is Ford's Active Park Assist too much of a boutique option to be of any use? According to Ford, Active Park Assist will work with just one touch of a button, allowing drivers to parallel park quickly, easily and safely without ever touching the steering wheel.
For anyone who took Driver's Ed, parallel parking is essential part of the driving learning experience. At first, you used cones to see if you could parallel park without scratching another car, but that quickly changed to parking between real cars, which is part of any road test. Fail that part of the test and you didn't receive your license.
But, critics may be missing out on one segment of the driving populace who could benefit from Active Park Assist, namely breast cancer survivors. Yes, if you happen to know someone who recently went through radical surgery, such as a mastectomy, you'd understand that one of the weaknesses women experience following surgery is in the upper body area, namely the arms and in the shoulders.
Because lymph nodes are removed from underneath the arm during surgery, some women report that their strength has been compromised. Thus any sort of active movement involving the upper part of the body can be difficult, even painful, despite having access to power steering. So, a technological feature such as Active Park Assist could help people with a loss of upper body strength. Then again, lousy parkers of all ages could benefit from this nifty gadget.
Lest you think that Ford will be offering Active Park Assist to limited buyers you may be interested in knowing that the feature will likely be made available across all car lines as soon as 2012.
