'Nanny state' tech too good not to be true

Audi's night-vision mechanism is in the business of saving lives. Photo / Supplied

When I tried out Audi A8's night-vision tech I initially thought it was a bit of a gimmick - spotting the first few pedestrians as fast as the infrared camera in the Audi rings did. But it also showed folk lurking in bus stops, by lamp posts and in shop doorways, out of light range or blending into the background.

Then a group of black-clad idiots darted across the road, glowing yellow on the screen yet all but invisible to the naked eye, and I was sold.

That yellow tagged them as within 90m of the car - less than 15m and they'll glow red while the Audi sounds an audible warning.

Anything warm will show beyond the 120m reach of the dip beam.

Hot tyres and exhausts, warm concrete, air outlets all glow. You can tell which neighbour got home late as their tyres and bonnet flare on your screen and which pedestrian's trousers are thinnest as they cross in front, too - voyeurism, here we come.

You'd leave it off during the day as warm metal and concrete show up more than people, which makes dusk interesting as you discover which fences and car colours best hold heat. But at night it's fantastic provided you remember it's not idiot-proof - pedestrians can still lurch from behind warm buses.

There was also a hidden bonus. The infrared camera penetrated early morning fog to show the curves ahead and cars warm in the mist long before I could see them.

This A8 is a rolling nanny state. It'll maintain following distance, tell you if someone's in your blind spot, highlight hidden pedestrians, issue directions - you can just about sit back and read the paper while it gets on with the pesky business of driving.

Some features will never be more than toys for the rich, but night vision clearly has a safety benefit which might make it more common, with increasing economy of scale seeing an eventual mass market roll-out.

Given the advantages this can only be good - provided users keep their brain engaged and remember a cold car is just as hard as a warm one if you hit it.