The autonomous (self driving) car buyers and owners thread (1 Viewer)

[schan1269]

Friend of mine has a first gen Mercedes with theirs.

They found out they have to disengage it when approaching their driveway...

5" curb and blacktop. The cul-de-sac is concrete. When they first drove it home...it stopped itself 3 feet short of the driveway. Their driveway is a straight shot.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Sure conspiracy theories are fun. On the other hand this could be the first step on the way to both safer AND faster transportation. It will be messy for years, but the end result has to be something we all can live with.

There's no conspiracy. It's no secret that municipalities are more interested in ticket revenue than in actual motorist safety, and if you don't believe it, I have a bridge lined with red-light cameras to sell you.

 

[KevinGress]

So I suppose you also believe the Government shouldnt have built the American Highway system? Or helped fund the development of the Internet?

The better question is: why? Why is it necessary for the government to mandate this? If the benefits so greatly outweight the negatives, the public will respond positively; even demand it. There's no real need for government to get involved - unless there's a way they can benefit. And that benefit's basically control.

Personally, I'm somewhat intrigued with the idea of having the ability to 'just ride'. I live in a rural area and have had commute times of about an hour - I certainly would enjoy being able to nap on the way to work, or read/browse on the way home. But I don't like the idea of someone telling me I have to have that in my car, driving up the cost and adding in more regulations. Plus, once they get control of the cars, it's so much easier to be able to tell people where they can and can't go, when they can go, etc. Too much control, in my mind.

 

[Sam Posten]

There's no conspiracy. It's no secret that municipalities are more interested in ticket revenue than in actual motorist safety, and if you don't believe it, I have a bridge lined with red-light cameras to sell you.

I'll remind you the same dire warnings were said of EZ Pass. So far, zero tickets.

The better question is: why? Why is it necessary for the government to mandate this? If the benefits so greatly outweight the negatives, the public will respond positively; even demand it. There's no real need for government to get involved - unless there's a way they can benefit. And that benefit's basically control.

The government is in charge of the roads. Period. That's a significant part of their job these days, I bet in your own municipality the costs go like this: Schools, Police, Roads. Driving is a privledge, not a right. I will remind you that gun ownership is a right and not a privledge and we've seen how ensconced the government is in that these days. (and that's all I'll say on that subject)If cutting a significant portion of the 30000+ highway deaths a year isn't an incentive I don't know what is. That's the equivalent of 15 9/11 death tolls a year.http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/NHTSA+Data+Confirms+Traffic+Fatalities+Increased+In+2012

 

[DaveF]

The next step will be automatic reporting and ticketing for traffic violations. In theory, an autonomous vehicle could force adherence to traffic laws but I doubt they will go that way because the government wants the money from traffic tickets more than they care about actual safety.

-Keith

Just like they've been doing with toll roads and EZ pass for decades...

 

[DaveF]

Exactly how will it make it faster? Are you counting on fewer traffic jams to slow you down or are you think they will be speeding around at greater speeds? Just curious how it will make things faster.I remember in the Hyperloop thread someone posted that self driving cars could make driving a better choice to flying in more cases which of course is laughable when you think about it. Self driving, human driving it does not matter, cars will always have the same limitations they current have today when it comes to traveling great distances.

That was probably me.Air travel isn't getting any easier, faster, or cheaper. SDC have to potential to make the mid-range drive (like DC to NYC) easier and faster than it currently is, and even more competitive with air, train and bus.Every Christmas, I drive to Indy. It's much cheaper than flying. And every year, I wish I could fly because that 10-12 hr winter drive is no fun and a total waste of time. SDC can help redeem that drive; and make it an even better value against flying. This is all sci-fi for now. But there numerous interesting scenarios with individually owned autonomous vehicles..

 

[DaveF]

Thinking scifiress the 911 button in your SDC and the car auto-routes to the nearest emergency room. Then using the self-assembling SDC network it tells every car to stay clear and keep the lanes open. It drives double the speed limit getting you to the hospital faster and safer than you could have. The hospital is ready for you. And the police were informed, so they don't stop you for speeding.

 

[KeithAP]

Just like they've been doing with toll roads and EZ pass for decades...

That is actually happening in the US? The few things I have seen on the subject where all email hoaxes that weren't true. I know Arizona had been using "speed cameras" to ticket people and then stopped the program, although some local cities are still using it apparently.

-Keith

 

[DaveF]

No. They're not. I'm being sarcastic and indirectly noting that your predictions are hyperbolic. Given the obvious opportunity to auto-ticket speeders based an data, the government (local, state and federal) didn't.

 

[schan1269]

Chicago is currently under fire to get rid of the red-light cameras. They've had the opposite effect...sorta.

Yes there are fewer crashes...but the crashes that happen, instead of being a 15-20mph oops...are turning into 45-50mph fatalities.

To boot, there was a news story a while back where a car in an intersection after an accident was in the sight of the red-light camera. The automated system sent 65 tickets. That is how long the car sat before a tow truck showed up.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

In many places, red light cameras are not reducing the overall number of crashes at all.

Accidents at red lights are almost never caused by people who try to slip through as the light is changing, but by people who miss the light entirely and enter the intersection when perpendicular traffic is already in motion. Which is kind of obvious if you think about it.

 

[DaveF]

In some places, they also (silently) shortened the yellow lights to get more tickets. That change in timing led to more accidents.

 

[Edwin-S]

After the last road trip I took, I have to reconsider the usefulness of a self-driving car. I wish the technology was developed enough to make them practical.

 

[Ejanss]

As of right now all these cars require an alert, capable driver to be able to over-ride the controls as needed.

And in our little sleepy college-town--where pedestrians have the right of way--BOY, would you need it.
(I have a few mobility problems and it takes me a while to get across the street...I've always been scared that drivers wouldn't wait or stop for me since I was a kid, and now, with no driver at the helm, I'm pissin' my freakin PANTS. )

 

[Sam Posten]

Replace office concept with napping / xbox and the world is your oyster:
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3026652/the-office-of-the-21st-century-will-be-your-self-driving-car#1

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Just what we need. . .the expectation that we'll spend EVEN MORE time outside the office on work.

At least it has windows.

 

[Edwin-S]

At least it has windows.

That will be the first thing to go, because employers will start complaining that windows cause needless distractions to the worker drones; therefore, it would be better to replace them with computer screens. That way their drones can get more work done. Next thing on the list? Eliminate the unproductive downtime now referred to as sleep.

 

[Sam Posten]

Utopia!http://paleofuture.gizmodo.com/morgan-stanley-thinks-self-driving-cars-will-bring-utop-1530995073?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_twitter&utm_source=gizmodo_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

 

[DaveF]

I'll be driving mine every day to my utopian job, in my money-less society, and then commuting back to my eco-friendly home in Roddenberg.

 

[Sam Posten]

I plan on being a Morlock, not one of you cattle Eloi!