Self-driving cars--seriously?

[Frederick Skelly]

It would not be good to attempt to move into the right lane if there is a big truck next to you.

Sure. But why not program it to look right and wait for the lane to clear, and other choices - like a human would do. (Note: Not all options available to a human of course. For example, dont want the autonomous car to give the tailgater a one-finger salute. )

[Doug Garson]

Anyone remember voice recognition software from 5 or 10 years ago? Anyone use Google Maps with voice recognition for navigation today? No comparison. Anyone remember Lotus 123 or Excel from 5 or 10 years ago vs Excel today? Remember trying to format a cell and get a spreadsheet to print the way you want it to look? Again no comparison. Given that the rate of improvements in technology are accelerating rapidly any deficiencies in self driving cars will be overcome a lot faster than any deficiencies in human behavior like texting while driving or allowing other distractions to cause accidents. I like to drive but I'm retired and have the luxury of avoiding rush hour commuting. When I was working I took public transit most of the way. If I had to commute today without the option to take public transit I'd have a hard look at self driving cars. I can see a future when if you want to drive yourself you go to an amusement park, pick your car (1973 Datsun 240Z) and the track (Mosport (I'm Canadian)) and go for it. Of course it will all be digital and the amusement park will be in your basement. I don't think self driving cars will be the norm this year but I bet they will be sooner than many expect.

[Dave Zellers]

Resistance is futile.

The left lane will be reserved for emergency vehicles and politicians and the right lane will be for the regular people.

[Doug Garson]

Resistance is futile.

The left lane will be reserved for emergency vehicles and politicians and the right lane will be for the regular people.

Guess which lane will be maintained and which will be full of potholes?

[Chris Parks]

If we're not careful, any day now cars will have stability control, traction control, steering 'nudges' when we get too close to the lines, maybe even drowsy/distracted driver detection? ....Surely it won't be better than a human?

Strange, my car has all that now and more, it stops in traffic without me touching the brakes, takes off when the car in front moves, keeps its distance from the car in front, let's you know if there are cars in the adjacent traffic lanes and more. Give the European manufacturers three years and all this stuff and way more will be in electric vehicles and I can hardly wait for that day. I hope not but I think Tesla is going to get bull dozed when that happens which will be a shame as they are the ground breakers in all this.

[Wayne Lomman]

For me this is another example of the imposition of control. Organisations and governments rely on control of the masses to bolster their power and driverless cars are a means of exercising this control.
The other point is that driver's cars are laughably irrelevant in my rural area. You can't even get to my place with a gps - you get lost in paddocks kilometres away - so how will they guide a driverless car?
Finally, can someone please tell me what is going to happen to the spare people that all the artificial intelligence is steadily replacing and how are all these fancy gadgets going to be purchased when the people have no jobs and therefore no income? Cheers

[Malcolm McLeod]

... please tell me what is going to happen to the spare people that all the artificial intelligence is steadily replacing...

We'll give them positions as traffic control technicians, post them at all the intersections that frail GPS systems mis-guide on, and then we can all get to your place.

I believe your 'jobs' argument was used by the Union of Amalgamated Brotherhood of the Traveling Buggy-whip Manufacturer's Guild. This too shall pass.

[Pat Barry]

The other point is that driver(less)cars are laughably irrelevant in my rural area. You can't even get to my place with a gps - you get lost in paddocks kilometres away - so how will they guide a driverless car?

All they have to do is track your route one time with a GPS and bingo, problem solved.

by the way, what are paddocks?

[Chris Parks]

GPS hasn't reached Tasmania yet.

Paddock: a small field or enclosure where horses are kept or exercised. Sometimes though they can be very large like square miles large in Oz.

[Curt Harms]

They are getting closer. Check out all the bells and whistles Ducati has that improve rider safety (including traction and wheelie control, cornering lights)



They are getting closer. https://youtu.be/IY7O_-nWUbk

I recall reading years ago about testing sensors or markers buried in the snow in Canada or Alaska, but I can't find any reference to it on the internet.



Ha! Very good one!




I agree with this concept, but I wouldn't be one that would want to use it. I wouldn't want to be the next person in the vehicle after a busy, exhausted adult and 4 active kids with sticky food and sticky fingers were in it.

Or colds or flu. I was a semi-hermit for a while and don't think I ever came down with a sniffle.

[Jim Andrew]

I would not be concerned about people being replaced by robots. People with ambition who want to create products or services will be able to find work, or make their own job. People who really do NOT want to work may find themselves unemployed. A long trip where I am not familiar with the road makes a driverless car appealing to me. Maybe someone will create an app for your phone to make your old car driverless.

[Chris Parks]

And garbage trucks...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJSHXr8i-ZU

[Larry Edgerton]

Self driving trucks will drive the change, and that change will drive the next great depression. Look up what the number one job is in each state, it will surprise you.

[Edwin Santos]

Self driving trucks will drive the change, and that change will drive the next great depression. Look up what the number one job is in each state, it will surprise you.

You are 100% right and yes I was surprised. I did not realize truck driving was the most common job in so many states. Equally interesting was the article that says the main reason for this is immunity to globalization and technology (yet), the two forces that have decimated the numbers of many other jobs. I don't know enough to use thew word depression but if your point is that a meaningful bite out of trucking jobs due to self driving technology will have major repercussions, I would not be betting against you.

[Chris Parks]

I worked as a driver and in the end as a manager in the interstate trucking industry and it is a whole other world. The truck loss rate and driver injuries and fatalities that occur because of scheduling and driving during the periods when the body says it should be asleep are enormous. Autonomous trucks will be the single best thing that can happen for the industry when they arrive. There is a world shortage of drivers for a good reason, the job is simply very unpleasant in most cases.