Self-driving cars will kill people and we need to accept that

[Mark_888]

Driving, one of life's pleasures, probably ranks right behind eating, sex and TV.

Another Mayberry RFD'ism.

Between horrific traffic jams, and people using their mobile phone for various stuff while driving (which may cause them to crash into you at any moment), driving is not one of my life's pleasures.

 

[PMCErnie]

Another Mayberry RFD'ism.

Between horrific traffic jams, and people using their mobile phone for various stuff while driving (which may cause them to crash into you at any moment), driving is not one of my life's pleasures.

Perhaps, but you will never trust an autonomous vehicle. We know you too well.

 

[Mark_888]

Perhaps, but you will never trust an autonomous vehicle. We know you too well.

I have stated before that I think autonomous vehicles still will have problems, unless they embed sensors in the roadway and in every other car.

But that doesn't have anything to do with whether everyday driving is a joy in my life.

 

[joneillnj]

Another Mayberry RFD'ism.

Between horrific traffic jams, and people using their mobile phone for various stuff while driving (which may cause them to crash into you at any moment), driving is not one of my life's pleasures.

It still is if you have the right car!

 

[EdP]

Another Mayberry RFD'ism.

Between horrific traffic jams, and people using their mobile phone for various stuff while driving (which may cause them to crash into you at any moment), driving is not one of my life's pleasures.

It can be and sometimes is one of my pleasures. I've had some great adventures on some great roads in the US and Europe. I've also made the trip from CT to Philly probably 175 times and would be willing to sit back in the traffic trying to get across the Tappan Zee Bridge. Friday afternoon on the D C beltway is not the same as the Amafi coast.

 

[PMCErnie]

It can be and sometimes is one of my pleasures. I've had some great adventures on some great roads in the US and Europe. I've also made the trip from CT to Philly probably 175 times and would be willing to sit back in the traffic trying to get across the Tappan Zee Bridge. Friday afternoon on the D C beltway is not the same as the Amafi coast.

Au contraire! The list of the very last places I would trust an autonomous vehicle include the Washington DC beltway and the Arc de Triomphe circle in Paris. Since retiring, I would never live anywhere that I couldn't hop in the car and enjoy a scenic drive in the country.

 

[EdP]

Au contraire! The list of the very last places I would trust an autonomous vehicle include the Washington DC beltway and the Arc de Triomphe circle in Paris. Since retiring, I would never live anywhere that I couldn't hop in the car and enjoy a scenic drive in the country.

Much remains to be seen yet. I pass through the beltway a half dozen times a year and it is a mess most times. One of the problems is the drivers. Some cause delays because they end up in the wrong lane, the try to change lanes thinking it is better, but it is not so the cut back in. Minor accident blocks up traffic for miles.

One computer controlled car would not fare any better, but how about 5,000 of them? All doing a decent speed, properly spaced, in the correct lane for an exit when needed. Don't think about next week or next year, but it can be done. Think decades, but it has to start someplace.

You mentioned that an airplane can land in a field. My first flight was out of a grass field back about 1955. That field could not accommodate a jet so they came up with bigger and better airports. The same will evolve with highways.

 

[PMCErnie]

Much remains to be seen yet. I pass through the beltway a half dozen times a year and it is a mess most times. One of the problems is the drivers. Some cause delays because they end up in the wrong lane, the try to change lanes thinking it is better, but it is not so the cut back in. Minor accident blocks up traffic for miles.

One computer controlled car would not fare any better, but how about 5,000 of them? All doing a decent speed, properly spaced, in the correct lane for an exit when needed. Don't think about next week or next year, but it can be done. Think decades, but it has to start someplace.

You mentioned that an airplane can land in a field. My first flight was out of a grass field back about 1955. That field could not accommodate a jet so they came up with bigger and better airports. The same will evolve with highways.

No, I made no mention of airplanes.

Also, I think we need to say, NO, it is not acceptable to kill people while testing self-driving vehicles!

 

[EdP]

No, I made no mention of airplanes.

Also, I think we need to say, NO, it is not acceptable to kill people while testing self-driving vehicles!

Sorry, it was joneillnj that mentioned airports
No, it is not acceptable to intentionally kill people, but we do have life loss now testing regular automobiles, vaccines, and a lot of other life saving things in our daily product development.

 

[PMCErnie]

Sorry, it was joneillnj that mentioned airports
No, it is not acceptable to intentionally kill people, but we do have life loss now testing regular automobiles, vaccines, and a lot of other life saving things in our daily product development.

Labs are for testing. Tracks are for testing. Test pilots are for testing. Test strips are for testing. Guinea pigs are for testing.

Memo to car companies: Keep your testing off my roads!

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[EdP]

Labs are for testing. Tracks are for testing. Test pilots are for testing. Test strips are for testing. Guinea pigs are for testing.

Memo to car companies: Keep your testing off my roads!

Fortunately, not everyone feels that way. Millions of people have been save an untimely death from disease because human testing was done on drugs and vaccines. Dr. Jonas Salk tested the polio vaccine on his own family.

This morning I read that GM is going to put their system into all the Caddy models and in a few years, other GM brands.

 

[joneillnj]

Fortunately, not everyone feels that way. Millions of people have been save an untimely death from disease because human testing was done on drugs and vaccines. Dr. Jonas Salk tested the polio vaccine on his own family.

Bad analogy as that human testing was done on willing and informed participants. Would you be cool with someone slipping a new, untested vaccine in your coffee without telling you the next time you swing by Starbucks?

 

[EdP]

Bad analogy as that human testing was done on willing and informed participants. Would you be cool with someone slipping a new, untested vaccine in your coffee without telling you the next time you swing by Starbucks?

I'm willing to accept self driving cars on the same highway if they have undergone some testing and vetting. Just as aircraft eventually flies over populated areas one preliminary testing shows reliability.

Most of the problems so far were the human factor in self drivers, such as the Uber driver not paying attention.

You will never accept it, nor will I change my mind so I offer you the last word so as to not tie up the discussion with our personal opinions.

 

[joneillnj]

I'm willing to accept self driving cars on the same highway if they have undergone some testing and vetting. Just as aircraft eventually flies over populated areas one preliminary testing shows reliability.

Most of the problems so far were the human factor in self drivers, such as the Uber driver not paying attention.

You will never accept it, nor will I change my mind so I offer you the last word so as to not tie up the discussion with our personal opinions.

I'm willing to accept that too even if I dont see a personal need for self-driving cars as I actually like driving. But what level of testing /vetting is OK and what transparency of data from the manufacturers is sufficient before they let these things loose to test on public roads? As all of these systems still rely on a human to back up and take control when something goes wrong (and they will go wrong), I don't like the idea of the guy sitting behind the wheel in the car next to me watching TV or reading a book at 70 mph. If the systems are so great why didn't the UBER brake instead of mowing that woman crossing the road down? If the premise is that the self driving car is smarter/safer than a human, then why was that system not active even when they had a human present as a backup?

 

[EdP]

If the systems are so great why didn't the UBER brake instead of mowing that woman crossing the road down? If the premise is that the self driving car is smarter/safer than a human, then why was that system not active even when they had a human present as a backup?

Uber Reportedly Identifies Self-Driving Fault that Killed Pedestrian

Should have been prevented by having the human do the job he was supposed to be doing too.

 

[PMCErnie]

Fortunately, not everyone feels that way. Millions of people have been save an untimely death from disease because human testing was done on drugs and vaccines. Dr. Jonas Salk tested the polio vaccine on his own family.

This morning I read that GM is going to put their system into all the Caddy models and in a few years, other GM brands.

There was an infamous chap in WWII who liked to perform tests on unknowing and unwilling humans. His name was Mengele.