No, being able to use different time signatures is essential in music. Time signatures are a basic building block required to define the vast majority of musical styles in the world. All of the western classical and popular music builds its rhythms and structure on a whole collection of time signatures (4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 2/4 are the more common ones). 4/4 is the most common time signature, but at least half of the music that follows any kind of time signature uses different ones. Also, a quite significant number of pieces use changes in time signatures throughout the piece to great effect.

To come back to your analogy, a feature that is akin to a rear parking sensor in a car would be something like retroactive recording.