Self-driving cars: July 2016 STH discussion

Self-driving cars - good or scary?

  • Good - better than humans. I want one

    Votes: 16 48.5%
  • Good - for other people but not me

    Votes: 6 18.2%
  • Bad - seeing too many accidents

    Votes: 1 3.0%
  • Bad - this is how Skynet starts

    Votes: 6 18.2%
  • Not passing judgment yet - wait and see

    Votes: 4 12.1%

  • Total voters
    33
Notice: Page may contain affiliate links for which we may earn a small commission through services like Amazon Affiliates or Skimlinks.

Diavuno

Active Member
I hear you, I got knocked down in a hit-and-run by a drunk joyrider a few years ago whilst on a zebra crossing. Lots of time in ICU, brain surgery, orthopaedic surgery and a shitload of rehab later I'm alive but still fairly worse for wear. I'd hope that any self-driving car in that situation would have spotted me and slammed on the brakes.

Interesting possible implications on car theft/dangerous driving vs liberty of drivers to drive how they want. Can you make your self-driving car ignore the speed limit/other traffic restrictions?
Frankly I'm sick of the restrictions... Yes the antitheft and safer driving is a huge bonus.... But more driving restrictions/tracking.... I'm against a nanny state.

Sent from my Lenovo TAB 2 A10-70F using Tapatalk
 

Airbozo

Member
Apr 13, 2016
23
19
13
Santa Cruz Mountains
I enjoy driving, but I see too many people oblivious to the requirements of driving a pedal assisted ballistic weapon, so while I think it would be good for many people, it is not for me. Besides I ride my motorcycle to work most of the time (and I want to know how they will deal with lane splitting). I also prefer the rigid feel every bump raw drive that is my FJ40 over any vehicle I have ever driven.

I do have concerns about the technology as well. Some around the actual implementation and some around what "others" feel is the right way to drive. It takes a mix of defensive an offensive (in both meanings of the word) driving to prevent accidents and injury. I also would like to see an autonomous vehicle navigate turn outs on a windy mountain road (like HWY 9 or Bear Creek), where most people are not able to cope with those roads and cause backups because they have no clue what a turn out is used for. The autonomous car would try to do the speed limit, while the passengers who get car sick foul the interior.

I see some benefits of self driving cars too. When a light turns green the snake effect _could_ be eliminated since every car would be able to accelerate at the same time.

I also feel that there would be some "gaming" of the cars. If I knew that an autonomous car would move to the right if I came up fast behind it, and flashed my lights, I would do that to every one of them just for fun. It could be a great source of amusement to see what you could force one of those cars to do. I already see people messing with the Tesla autopilot modes.

I am also reminded of a science fiction story I read as a kid (cannot remember the name right now), where a group of travelers come across a futuristic multi lane freeway where all the cars are flying by at 100 mph with barely a space between them. After some experimentation of throwing rocks (or other debris), the travelers step into the flow and the cars move around them, allowing them to cross the freeway with no stoppage in traffic and no one getting hit. (if anyone knows the name of that book I would be in your debt)

I do see that the insurance companies and government would try to cost you out of your old style auto's and motorcycles. Not something I would be happy with.
 

DonJon

Member
Apr 9, 2016
50
6
8
47
That is exactly my view. My question is whether individuals/ LLCs will own cars then lease spare time out to the fleets or if they will be purchased as fleets. At least in the early days I can see the former. With that said, Hertz last week signed a deal with Uber and Lyft.
Uber is developing their own autonomous car/fleet/taxis (in the dens) with a pool of engineers from Carnegie Melon (the forerunner of this technology). CM's self driving cadillac looks like a normal car, not like Google's TV Station Wagon. BTW Google got its talents from CM too.
 

unwind-protect

Active Member
Mar 7, 2016
415
156
43
Boston
What I really want is driver assistance on steroids. Mainly to solve the problem of elderly drivers who can't tell gas pedal from brake pedal, but you can't take their license away because they wouldn't able to get around. And no public transport in the US.

What's better than a car thinking "well my sensors say there is a solid object in front of me and driver dude is saying full power forward. I think I'm just gonna sit here and beep until conditions improve".