Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Local paper ran an extensive article this week, in which transportation "expert" predicts that Feds will eventually require all cars to be "self-operating", with no driver input. The result, he says, will be a 43% reduction in fatal accidents; an end to drunken driving; an end to traffic congestion caused by accidents and driver errors; and a massive decline in auto insurance rates. All we have to give up is the right to control our vehicles. We are headed there already. All he is predicting is that as it did with seatbelts, airbags, padded dashes, hood ornaments, and crash bumpers, the Federal government will step in and progressively require forward collision sensors, auto-braking systems, lane variation alarms, and, eventually, total automatic control of vehicle operation. As much as I hate the driving habits of the few, I'm not ready to surrender either the individual choice or the personal enjoyment of driving my own car. But like all erosion of individual freedom, it is likely to occur incrementally. Would you "drive" one? LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I have read many articles about driverless cars. Frankly some of the articles and predictions assume that all people are good and equally well behaved. One observed flaw in the car's behavior. At a four-way stop, the cars do as specified in the law, wait for the other cars to come to a complete stop. In practice the other cars are often more aggressive and inching forward waiting for their turn. The driverless car is stalemated in this situation. Another flaw: the driverless car keeps a proper following distance. Other cars see the opportunity to use that space and the driverless car drives mu more slowly. One Utopian view, is that you will need fewer or no inner-city parking garages because you can get out of your car and tell the car to go to a convenient garage away from the city center instead of driving around the block looking for a garage. Then you can call for your car to come and get you at the end of the work day. I believe that it will help at the beginning of the workday, but at the end, I foresee the self-important executive who calls for his car early and then has it circle the block while he just works a few more minutes. I also think some people will fail to keep the maintenance up on their vehicles and thus cause accidents. And Hackers! Imagine the havoc they can cause. Want to rob a bank? Hack all the driverless cars to block traffic in your favor. Similarly, I think some people will have their cars circle the block while they "just go into a store for 5 minutes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 MY issue is that the car would have to be impervious to hacking and other forms of external manipulation. I have been working the the Electronic Warfare industry for 35 years. I know for a fact that all those sensors needed for a car to be automated can be jammed/fooled. Reliability is another issue. It costs money for the redundancy necessary to make these systems safe. What about inclement weather. Heavy rain, snow, ice will severely degrade the ability of these systems to function. What about special purpose vehicles?. Farm equipment, construction equipment, unusual loads, and other non-standard motorized conveyances. How do those get incorporated? What about rural America? Automated cars could possibly be made to work in cities and interstates. But what about places with gravel roads and little traffic. How do you keep people proficient when they only use the skills necessary to drive safely on rare occasions? People that predict and profess that all this great technology will take over our lives seldom have the knowledge to comprehend that America is not one giant homogeneous city Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'll just drive my motorcycle around them, just like I do now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I won't live long enough to see that happening on any large scale. I also don't think the driving public will accept it because they won't want to give up control of the vehicle. I sure wouldn't. These things would have to be 100% reliable 24/7/365 which I don't believe is humanly possible. And as Marshal noted, the average owner won't spend the money on maintenance. The cost would exorbitant. I think developing the technology will lead to some interesting features in the decades to come. I just don't see humans accepting a driverless vehicle any more than they would trains & airliners without motormen and pilots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grass Range #51406 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Can they be programmed to throw off a few hay bales when it is 30 below, put the chains on and get it unstuck from a snowbank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Can they be programmed to throw off a few hay bales when it is 30 below, put the chains on and get it unstuck from a snowbank What's wrong, Grass? Did your woman leave you? LL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I won't live long enough to see that happening on any large scale. I also don't think the driving public will accept it because they won't want to give up control of the vehicle. I sure wouldn't. These things would have to be 100% reliable 24/7/365 which I don't believe is humanly possible. And as Marshal noted, the average owner won't spend the money on maintenance. The cost would exorbitant. I think developing the technology will lead to some interesting features in the decades to come. I just don't see humans accepting a driverless vehicle any more than they would trains & airliners without motormen and pilots I see lots of people willing to turn their safety over to a mindless authority. Maybe not the luddites like me but many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kajun Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Local paper ran an extensive article this week, in which transportation "expert" predicts that Feds will eventually require all cars to be "self-operating", with no driver input. The result, he says, will be a 43% reduction in fatal accidents; an end to drunken driving; an end to traffic congestion caused by accidents and driver errors; and a massive decline in auto insurance rates. All we have to give up is the right to control our vehicles.guns. We are headed there already. All he is predicting is that as it did with seatbelts, airbags, padded dashes, hood ornaments, and crash bumpers, more gun control laws, gun free zones, banning handguns and assault rifles, the Federal government will step in and progressively require forward collision sensors, auto-braking systems, lane variation alarms, manufacture of smart guns and blocking 2nd amendment rights and, eventually, total automatic control of vehicle operation. collection of all privately owned firearms. I just know that will reduce the crime rate and we can all join hands and sing kumbaya and then go off to work to help pay for the additional government over reach programs associated with this noble process. As much as I hate the driving habits of the few, I'm not ready to surrender either the individual choice or the personal enjoyment of driving my own car. owning and shooting my own guns. But like all erosion of individual freedom, it is likely to occur incrementally. Would you "drive" one? LL Loophole LaRue, as I read your posting it reminded me of something that seems to be happening now. I took a LOT of editorial license and made a few edits to your post to make my point. No offense intended here and this in no way says anything about you....its just that any time I see the government stepping in to take more "control" I cringe. Kajun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudgeBagodonuts Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 While the "expert" might be correct that autonomously operated cars may be the future, he also doesn't say that this will require a VERY LONG period where both autonomous and independent (i.e., today's cars) are both on the road. With the average age of an automobile now up to 12 years (and rising), by the time autonomous cars are introduced, it'll be 20+ years before they may be required. Even when they are "required", exemptions will exist for antique vehicles and special purpose vehicles that also use the road (farm vehicles, mobile cranes, etc...). During that period when both are on the road, you can be sure that there will be a prominent "OFF" button on the autonomous cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grass Range #51406 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Loopy-Yep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Thus far of the accidents between driven and driverless cars, the humans are at fault almost every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastmaster Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Thus far of the accidents between driven and driverless cars, the humans are at fault almost every time. The driverless cars computer did not reconize the irrational behavior of the driver car,,, thus, it is at fault too! It will be interesting to see how the computer programmers will handle oddities such as wildlife, deer, cows, people,and bicycle riders jump out into the path of the car. Or how the computer adjust the driverless cars path & speed caused by severe weather conditions (heavy rain, snow, ice). I can see alot of commuters that are caught up in everyday routine grid lock traffic wanting the driverless features,,, so they can do something else while sitting there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 The driverless cars computer did not reconize the irrational behavior of the driver car,,, thus, it is at fault too! It will be interesting to see how the computer programmers will handle oddities such as wildlife, deer, cows, people,and bicycle riders jump out into the path of the car. Or how the computer adjust the driverless cars path & speed caused by severe weather conditions (heavy rain, snow, ice). I can see alot of commuters that are caught up in everyday routine grid lock traffic wanting the driverless features,,, so they can do something else while sitting there. The driverless cars have accidents like The Germinator did. She got rear ended several times. The most common remark by the person who hit her "I didn't think you were going to stop" [for a red light] Surely the driverless car would be responsible for obeying the law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Goodnight Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 No, never. This is not Utopian to me, it's dystopian. The control freaks will love it. Far too Orwellian for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Sin Nombre Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I think about this every day on my commute too and from work. I am all for it as long as it's for all of the other drivers on the road and not me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastmaster Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 I can see metro areas designating a non-hands vehicle lanes to promote/force the technology, make the no hand cars safer cause they will only play with each other in such lane,,,,and the metro will charge some fee to use the hands free lane. As folks set in grid lock and see the no hand cars zip by,,,,, they will convert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Hombre Sin Nombre Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 You're probably right. A lot of people here in the bay area went out and bought those ugly smart cars and natural gas vehicles just for the car pool lane access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blastmaster Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 Redwood Kid, Your state will be on the cutting edge of this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.