38 replies to this topic

[Topaz]

Toyota, has created the firsr self-driving car for someone like this blind man who tested it out and its has 200,000 tested miles on it. This will be a big help for those people who have disabilities and need a car to get around. Awesome. http://www.foxnews.c...blind-to-drive/

[eyeball]

If a blind man can 'drive' when can I order a model that's equipped with a bar?

I don't imagine lawyers and insurers are going to be happy about this.

[TimG]

I don't imagine lawyers and insurers are going to be happy about this.

I imagine they will extremely happy because they can sue deep pocketed car companies and google instead of having to eat the losses because a broke driver has nothing worth suing for.

IMO: the self driving car will never get on the road in the US because no one will sell it because of the liability risk.

Edited by TimG, 29 March 2012 - 11:02 AM.

[eyeball]

IMO: the self driving car will never get on the road in the US because no one will sell it because of the liability risk.

I'm betting it will be the pry-my-dead-fingers-from-the-steering-wheel crowd that delays it the longest and hardest in the States.

As for Canada our governments will be able to engineer society's shift to driver-less cars by increasing insurance rates for people who refuse to get with the program.

The case for the safety of these cars appears to be pretty damn strong and it probably won't be long before the health costs of fixing up broken bodies is too high to accommodate people who insist on resisting that shift.

[GostHacked]

Nope, don't want one. If cars drive themselves, expect a lot of accidents when the systems crash or the car gets hacked. Hacking into cars is already a reality. Want to take that risk? Stay in control.

[GostHacked]

I'm betting it will be the pry-my-dead-fingers-from-the-steering-wheel crowd that delays it the longest and hardest in the States.

As for Canada our governments will be able to engineer society's shift to driver-less cars by increasing insurance rates for people who refuse to get with the program.

Sounds like coersion to me.

The case for the safety of these cars appears to be pretty damn strong and it probably won't be long before the health costs of fixing up broken bodies is too high to accommodate people who insist on resisting that shift.

One thing we can do is take out all these distractions we have in cars now adays. GPS on the dash, cell phone in hand, kids in the back watching tv on the backs of seats. Ever drive behind a person on a cell?? All over the damn road.

[dre]

I imagine they will extremely happy because they can sue deep pocketed car companies and google instead of having to eat the losses because a broke driver has nothing worth suing for.

IMO: the self driving car will never get on the road in the US because no one will sell it because of the liability risk.

Funny, but when I had seen that you replied to this post, I knew FOR SURE that your post was going to ammount to "Its never going to work"... your boiler plate response to EVERY new technology.

But its ridiculous of course. Once there is a performance record for these automobiles, insurance companies will evaluate the risk and put together packages to insure against any liability. No different than how insurance works today. As the body of evidence grows, if we find out that virtual drivers are actually SAFER (and they may very well be because they wont get drunk, or speed, or eat a sandwich or talk on the cell phone) then insurance and liability will actually be LESS of an issue.


If the technology is good we will use it. Its that simple.

[dre]

Nope, don't want one. If cars drive themselves, expect a lot of accidents when the systems crash or the car gets hacked. Hacking into cars is already a reality. Want to take that risk? Stay in control.

Those are just technological problems that can be ironed out as the technology matures. And given the fact that humans are generally such poor drivers, and prone to all kinds of distractions (drinking, eating, talking on the phone, looking at cute girls on the sidewalk, etc) its not all a stretch that virtual drivers could have much better driving records than your average human.

[eyeball]

Sounds like coersion to me.

In some circles social engineering is made virtuous by promising hard time for offenders with no chance of parole, especially for imaginary ones.

I'm merely suggesting a choice between a high premium increase and the distinct possibility of no premium at all if Google cars prove to be as safe as advertised.

One thing we can do is take out all these distractions we have in cars now adays. GPS on the dash, cell phone in hand, kids in the back watching tv on the backs of seats. Ever drive behind a person on a cell?? All over the damn road.

Yep, they'd be off to a gulag on Baffin Island without a trial if I was in charge.

[dre]

In some circles social engineering is made virtuous by promising hard time for offenders with no chance of parole, especially for imaginary ones.

I'm merely suggesting a choice between a high premium increase and the distinct possibility of no premium at all if Google cars prove to be as safe as advertised.


Yep, they'd be off to a gulag on Baffin Island without a trial if I was in charge.

Once this technology has the kinks worked out, Id be extremely suprised if virtual drivers were much more safe than humans. Humans SUCK at reliably performing repetitive tasks. You cant count on them for anything and high margins of error are to be expected. Theyre wishy washy prone to distraction, some of them can see or hear better than others, some of them are too old to be reliable or too young to be responsible.

Just about any time humans can be removed from a process, that process will become more efficient, less prone to error, and more reliable.

[GostHacked]

Once this technology has the kinks worked out, Id be extremely suprised if virtual drivers were much more safe than humans. Humans SUCK at reliably performing repetitive tasks. You cant count on them for anything and high margins of error are to be expected. Theyre wishy washy prone to distraction, some of them can see or hear better than others, some of them are too old to be reliable or too young to be responsible.

Just about any time humans can be removed from a process, that process will become more efficient, less prone to error, and more reliable.

I won't give up that control to a machine. You should not either.

[eyeball]

Just about any time humans can be removed from a process, that process will become more efficient, less prone to error, and more reliable.

I suppose Google's car's will have to come with plastic cups and no hot coffee lest some poor soul spills it on their lap and sues the ass off them.

What people should really be looking forward to is the day when private car ownership becomes pointless and people can just Google up a car whenever they need. I don't know if that would work in the boonies where I live but it should make life in the cities a lot easier.

[dre]

I won't give up that control to a machine. You should not either.

I would have no problem at all giving up control to that machine once It has enough of a track record so that I trust it. Youre apprehension is normal, and theres people that feel that way every time a new technology emerges. But if the technology is good, youll come around.

[eyeball]

I won't give up that control to a machine. You should not either.

You've been watching too many Terminator movies.

[dre]

I suppose Google's car's will have to come with plastic cups and no hot coffee lest some poor soul spills it on their lap and sues the ass off them.

What people should really be looking forward to is the day when private car ownership becomes pointless and people can just Google up a car whenever they need. I don't know if that would work in the boonies where I live but it should make life in the cities a lot easier.

Not only that, but this opens the door spending an awfull lot less on things like shipping. I cant wait until I can send my car to specially outfitted stores where the car pulls up, the store keeper puts the stuff I ordered into its cargo hold, and it brings that stuff home for to me.

Im hoping it can drive my kids to soccer, rugby, track and field, and music lessons! Because Im getting a little tired of doing that stuff 4 nights a week.