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Driverless cars

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Basil

Basil

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I was just watching a segment on the morning news about a number of companies (e.g., Uber, Google, Tesla) who are investing huge $$ on "driverless cars" with the goal of having them on our roads and available for you to buy in the not-too-distant future.

Personally I have less than zero desire to ever own a car that I don't drive. I actually like driving and hate just being a passenger. For example, there is a bus that runs the 30 miles from where I live to Albuquerque and has a drop off a block from my work. I calculated I could save a small about of money if I took the bus instead of driving, so I tried it for a couple weeks. I hated it! I went back to driving myself.

With something so dependent on technology, it will have to be very expensive when something goes wrong and when something does go wrong (and it will) the consequences could be disastrous.

It will be interesting to see how much "demand" there is for these cars. My prediction is there won't be much. I'm sure my opinion is shared by some but probably not shared by others. Thoughts?
 
I have a different take on all this. Permit this strange observation or thesis.
For the last 10 years we've been in a kind of in-between technology zone: the entry into the cell phone age but the not-quite-yet-ready driverless car age. The cell phone arrival has created a population full of distracted drivers (and I'd swear that maybe as high as 1 in 5 people are on the phone at some hours). AND there seems to be no way to stop it (despite the laws). So, with the arrival of driverless-cars, we have a quasi-solution to the addiction people have with phones... they'll kick back and not only phone people but probably scan the internet.

[side-bar: my wife and I went to The Lion King the other evening and there was a guy about 10 seats over that had to turn on his bright screen and scan his phone every 5 minutes - and you could tell he was scanning, not checking in on something vital - he was bored. It's an addiction!]
 
As I live in an urban area, and my daily commute is not "fun", I would love a driverless car to take me to work. If I lived in an area with great roads, I would think differently. And on that note, I hope to never give up driving for fun, for example in my LBC.

The benefits, I think, of driverless cars are (1) they are being developed to integrate with driving cars (vs., for example, creating a dedicated road), and (2) as Mark pointed out, driverless cars should be better drivers than cell-phone addicted texting drivers. As such, I believe our LBCs will be safer when driving near self-piloted cars vs. driving near distracted-driver piloted SUVs.

Or maybe I'm just being overly optimistic...
 
One thing with driverless cars I've thought of, they could also be used to enforce some social rules, maybe it won't go to certain destinations considered poor choices like that pizza shop, or won't run during high heat pollution alerts. The potential for networked cars to control and direct your activities towards what those in charge consider socially responsible choices will exist.
 
I wonder what will happen after a few accidents,
after the lawyers move in.
 
And, of course, when will one be hacked through its internet connection! Ah, the wonders of modern technology. :wink-new:
Still, I'd like one for boring driving (but would never part with a "driver's" car - my LBC).

Has their been progress on this accident liability front?
 
Me - I'm for public transit. No driverless car in my future, unless it's a hearse.

For daily use - trolleys, trams, and inter-urbans!


2854940401_024507e889.jpg
 
And we love our streetcars here in Portland. This shot was taken about 5 minutes (drive) from me. :eek:
 
NutmegCT said:
Me - I'm for public transit. No driverless car in my future, unless it's a hearse.

For daily use - trolleys, trams, and inter-urbans!


2854940401_024507e889.jpg
Click to expand...

I tried riding the bus to work (30 miles one way) for about a week or two, but hated it. I guess I just like driving (even in crappy traffic) and hated just sitting being a passenger. It may be for some folks, but not for me. I also noticed that when I'd take the bus (a very large bus) there were seldom more than 4 or 5 people onboard. Another issue I had was I found myself often in need of running errands around town while at work and when I did't have my car I ended up having to beg co-workers to take me some place. What a waste! I can see such public transportation where it makes sense and where it is certain to be utilized, but around here I see giant busses running all over the place with very few people onboard.

There is also a "Railrunner" train that runs from Albuquerque to Santa Fe. I'll admit that it is kind of fun and the wife and I have taken it a couple times when we just wanted to go up to SF to walk around for a few hours. However, it actually takes 30 min longer to take the RR than just to drive up I-25 to Santa Fe. Also, operating losses for the first three years of operation topped $37 million (and we know who pays for that). Also, ever time we've taken the RR there have not been many riders onboard. That may be different at other times, but every time I've taken it there were to or three other people in our car and some cars that were empty. I don't know if they did a cost-benefit analysis before embarking on the project.

NutmegCT said:
No driverless car in my future, unless it's a hearse.
Click to expand...

Well, lets hope you don't take that ride for a while!
 
Yeah, convenience is still very much a problem. I can't take public transportation from my house at all (or even close by). If I lived in downtown I'd probably use it all the time... but if you have to go anywhere suburban, it involves transfers and a TON of time.
 
We much prefer taking BART to the "other SF" (San Francisco) because driving is a nightmare unless we go at sunrise on Sunday (before BART starts up). Other than that, I agree that driverless cars can't be worse than distracted drivers.

I wonder what will happen after a few accidents, ...
Click to expand...
In California, all the companies testing driverless cars have to submit an accident report within 10 days if one of their cars get in an accident. You can (could?) read the reports on line. In almost all of them, the driverless car was rear ended at a stop.
 
For those who don't want a driverless car maybe you'll like THIS better :rolleye:
 
How about we have a widget in cars to DISABLE the cellphones when the vehicle is in motion? Or a HUD to read retina NOT looking at the road (Angle of acceptance involved)?
 
DrEntropy said:
How about we have a widget in cars to DISABLE the cellphones when the vehicle is in motion? Or a HUD to read retina NOT looking at the road (Angle of acceptance involved)?
Click to expand...

Good idea but how practical. People look away from the road all the time (gauges?), and cell phones are used by passengers. Not sure what the solution is, BUT a good place to start is to enforce the laws about driving while on the phone. Surely the cops see what I see.
 
"Angle of acceptance" is where the driver's eyes go. Too far afield and a screaming alert is begun. Focus on center turns it off.
 
DrEntropy said:
"Angle of acceptance" is where the driver's eyes go. Too far afield and a screaming alert is begun. Focus on center turns it off.
Click to expand...

What about navigation or just plain looking around? Perhaps there might be technology to apply... but just consider that massive screen on a Tesla (like a big iPad on the center console).
 
Funny (sad?) that we're always looking for technology to correct what people do naturally.

:devilgrin:
 
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