Driverless Cars are Insane.

[Loyal]

Yeah, you can call me a Luddite if you want.

I drove professionally for most of 17 years and have extensive experience with GPS units and how they work around the country. I relied on one of the first generations of Garmins and it cost me over one thousand dollars, and it was worth ever penny to me, 90% of the time.

It was very useful when I was supposed to pick up a charter group or go to a place that I had never been to before. Yet, I would normally plan my day by using good old fashioned maps because it was freaking embarrassing driving aimlessly in the wrong area of town because of the map software being out of date (even with yearly updates). When a town adds a subdivisions, or redesigns a city block with brand new address numbers that didn't exist a couple of years before, the GPS will screw you, if you 100% depend on it. I used every tool I had (google, GPS, and physical maps) to ensure accuracy and to make my passengers feel as though I knew where I was going. My tips at the end of the trip depended on this, so it was very important.

Fast forward to now. Elon Musk wants his Tesla cars to be totally automated, and my previous experience makes me believe how crazy it is to trust a machine that may have obsolete cartography and therefore make mistakes that could kill people. The same is true for driverless semi trucks, which some truckers have protested recently. If you live in a big city where things don't change very much, maybe this has a chance to work I guess. But, the software better know things like construction information and change of direction determined by time of day in some cities (New York City changes the path into the Lincoln Tunnel depending on time of day.).

I am skeptical about software that avoids accidents by sensing obstructions/obstacles a well. Electronics will go FUBAR at some point, and I don't want to be strapped in with my seatbelt in the rear seat when it happens.. I have experience in 46 of 50 US states and two Canadian Provinces and I know that local government information about road changes gets lost or is never accounted for by GPS programs at times. Will you trust a system like this with you and your family's lives? Not gonna do it

 

[coconut]

It is another system of control being sold to the gullible. It is happening all around. From smart TVs that spy on you, to smart meters that will turn your power off when it suits someone more connected, to driverless cars that make you sit in traffic while the more connected speed by in the fast lane. Too many people are lazy and ignorant. An irresistible market for those seeking control.

 

[Loyal]

It is another system of control being sold to the gullible. It is happening all around. From smart TVs that spy on you, to smart meters that will turn your power off when it suits someone more connected, to driverless cars that make you sit in traffic while the more connected speed by in the fast lane. Too many people are lazy and ignorant. An irresistible market for those seeking control.

Aside from the conspiracy aspect of your post, which I don't totally disagree with you about, this type of system relies on perfectly reliable information from local, state, and federal govts....which we know will never be perfectly reliable. A system like this is only as good as its weakest link.

 

[LesBaker]

Frankly I wouldn't want one. I'll keep my hands on the steering wheel thank you very much!

I embrace new technology plenty. But this could kill you.

 

[1maGoh]

The maps these days are updated by the people driving with their gps on, not by cities and formal approval processes. Updates on the device are performed monthly, weekly, daily, etc automatically over cell coverage networks and public WiFi. The problems of past devices largely don't exist anymore.

When something is wrong, people submit change requests and get it fixed. You can become a Google maps contributor with little effort and help make the maps now reliable in real time for everyone.

I hate the idea of self driving cars, but none of your concerns are real things anymore for the most part.

 

[IowaRam]

Well it's about time they caught up to my 1940's Popular Mechanics Magazine

 

[bluecoconuts]

Humans are stupid, driverless cars reduce traffic and collisions, I'm all for em.

 

[fearsomefour]

It is the death of the sports car if these become the standard.
Speeds regulated etc.
Interesting concept that is getting closer but still a ways out from being a reality I think.

 

[cvramsfan]

I have an Model 3 and love the auto pilot and it is only better every day. I can tell it is a much more relaxing drive on the long trips. I keep my hand on the wheel (you have too or it will turn off the auto pilot and will not let you turn it back on until you stop and turn off the car to reset it) and my eyes on the road.

But this car can see things in traffic before I do. It is priceless in stop n go traffic.

 

[fearsomefour]

I have an Model 3 and love the auto pilot and it is only better every day. I can tell it is a much more relaxing drive on the long trips. I keep my hand on the wheel (you have too or it will turn off the auto pilot and will not let you turn it back on until you stop and turn off the car to reset it) and my eyes on the road.

But this car can see things in traffic before I do. It is priceless in stop n go traffic.

Man that would take some getting used to.

 

[OldSchool]

Better than those carless drivers those bastards need to stay outta the fast lane!

 

[norcalramfan]

Frankly I wouldn't want one. I'll keep my hands on the steering wheel thank you very much!

I embrace new technology plenty. But this could kill you.

I agree, it could kill you and could be hacked by by others.

 

[Force16X]

Dick Dastardly : drat and double drat Muttley! Without any drivers, who will i try and make lose the race ??

muttley:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8KC0nyWCY4

 

[Akrasian]

Driverless cars still need work - but most of the problems in urban areas are they are too conservative in driving choices.

But for the various problems they have - they don't have drivers under the influence, too tired to drive after a long day at work, distracted playing with the radio, yelling at the kids in the back seat, just generally incompetent, eating and spilling a hot, greasy burger, talking on their phone, etc etc. Arguably they are already safer than the average driver on the road, and the algorithms keep improving.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Driverless cars still need work - but most of the problems in urban areas are they are too conservative in driving choices.

But for the various problems they have - they don't have drivers under the influence, too tired to drive after a long day at work, distracted playing with the radio, yelling at the kids in the back seat, just generally incompetent, eating and spilling a hot, greasy burger, talking on their phone, etc etc. Arguably they are already safer than the average driver on the road, and the algorithms keep improving.

Exactly. Human drivers are far from perfect.

At the same time, as far as self driving cars; I can’t wrap my head around how it will be safe guarded to the point most cars will be that way.

 

[coconut]

Humans are stupid, driverless cars reduce traffic and collisions, I'm all for em.

Yes cars without drivers are rarely a problem.

 

[coconut]

Driverless cars still need work - but most of the problems in urban areas are they are too conservative in driving choices.

But for the various problems they have - they don't have drivers under the influence, too tired to drive after a long day at work, distracted playing with the radio, yelling at the kids in the back seat, just generally incompetent, eating and spilling a hot, greasy burger, talking on their phone, etc etc. Arguably they are already safer than the average driver on the road, and the algorithms keep improving.

Look at some other technology that has gone mainstream in the recent past. Electronic calculators have made it possible for the most stupid or lazy to do simple math at the expense of being totally dependent on the calculator. Spell checker has created more nonsensical grouping of words than misspelled words ever did in everyday life or even so called professional settings like print media. Technology should complement human ability not become a crutch.

Don't forget the real reason behind driverless car technology- to eliminate paying truck drivers.

 

[cvramsfan]

Man that would take some getting used to.

I got used to it pretty quick. It is far from perfect and there are times that I prefer to drive the car myself vs the auto pilot

 

[shovelpass]

I agree, it could kill you and could be hacked by by others.

Cars are already getting hacked, with drivers in them.

https://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-remotely-kill-jeep-highway/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2016/08/02/charlie-miller-chris-valasek-jeep-hackers-steering-brake/#529225a463f4

It could kill you, but so can driving now. In 2017 there were 34,247 fatal car accidents in the U.S.

 

[coconut]

Cars are already getting hacked, with drivers in them.

https://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-remotely-kill-jeep-highway/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2016/08/02/charlie-miller-chris-valasek-jeep-hackers-steering-brake/#529225a463f4

It could kill you, but so can driving now. In 2017 there were 34,247 fatal car accidents in the U.S.

When you abdicate your responsibility (in this case driving) there will be a cost. I suspect one such cost will be in greatly reduced limits on financial compensation when injured in or by a driverless vehicle. Much like we have today with the Vaccine Court that limits compensation from harm from vaccines to a maximum of $200K.