Self-Driving Cars ... Maybe

[hoosierpipeguy]

There's a lot of work that will need to be done with the infrastructure but this is inevitable. There are the experimental cars out there now that do it based on GPS positioning. There are a number of higher end vehicles that will "almost" do it. And most newer vehicles have safety devices that help keep you in your lane, stop you, etc..
For this to work, I think you will need such things as devices implanted in the roads that the cars communicate with as well as devices in each car that communicate with each other. The vehicle needs to know precisely where it is at on the road and for safety reasons, the cars close by need to be communicating with each other to avoid collisions.
This isn't something I think you'll see in the next 5 years but certainly within the next 15 to 20 years, perhaps even sooner.

 

[jguss]

I would absolutely bet against level five in the next 15-20 years. But who here is young enough to hold the stakes? And can I trust them to pay the proceeds, if any, to my heirs?

 

[mso489]

I can't even wean myself from the internal combustion engine. Is that battery really going to get me home? I seriously doubt it. I like peck's adventure with the automated parallel parking. My wife lived a good part of her life in Manhattan and takes vast pride in her parallel parking skills (not mine!). When she saw people struggling, she'd offer to park their car. People on the sidewalk would sometimes applaud, she could get a car in such a small space.

 

[alan73]

Tesla and Waymo already testing level 5 automation on streets and highways all around the U.S.
Elon Musk thinks it will be commercial within 2-3 years.

 

[mikethompson]

Is that battery really going to get me home? I seriously doubt it.

You would be surprised Tom. My neighbour just got a Nissan Leaf and the charge is more than enough for a daily commute. As for long road trips, that's another story.
Further, as someone who lives near Toronto, I can attest that there are already vehicles with mindless robots at the wheel already.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Someone (Duane?) mentioned that long haul trucking may well be where this hits first and big time. At least the robots driving won't be texting, or if they do, they can multitask better than the average teeny-bopper.

 

[alan73]

I would be an early adopter assuming price premium is reasonable. In the future I could send my car to pick up my mother 250 miles away and bring her back on one battery charge. She has started to dislike driving long distances especially highway driving, she is 68. She would love to see the grandchildren more, this would solve that problem. I can’t wait to say Jeeves take me to Chicago , and kick back for a nap or whatever . Exciting stuff.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

A big obstacle will be the liability issues, that I am sure will need to culminate in some sort of legislative regime change for auto insurance. Right now auto insurance focuses on the drivers with respect to liability. This will be much more complicated in a self-driving car scenario. Presumably the automakers will be the ones liable, and will need to pass their own insurance costs onto the buyers of their cars.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

Mso- Maybe your wife will appreciate these parallel maneuvering skills from Brazil: https://youtu.be/dE8qywVr1_A
Good tip in case you have to get moving out of a tight spot quicker than usual to avoid a parking ticket or smoking fine!

 

[warren]

I've never forgiven MLB!
It's neither a question of "control" nor choice. Driverless vehicles are simply the coming thing, neither good nor bad. If you can figure out how to profit from it, more power to you. There will be benefits and negatives of course. Automobiles changed the complexion of the world. Airplanes? The same. Driverless vehicles? Simply part of the progression of constant change in how people live. Personal opinions/preferences matter not a whit! So, stand aside and either marvel or despair. Or, the best choice, figure out how to gain, how to improve your life. Even the cowboy has pretty much forsaken the horse for the helicopter, airplane and four wheeler.
Cost overruns are simple another fact of life. Caterers, flag persons, construction companies, equipment operators, unions, politicians and so forth, wish to make moneys from/in the process. When a project becomes "too big to kill" most everybody involved become energized to keep the "gravy train" going. Someone else has to slay the "dragon". Those making money certainly are not going to be disposed to.
Liability? My guess would be something along the lines a large, nay! a HUGE, pot of moneys, controlled by boards (Government regulated/overseen of course.) of some sort who would parcel out money to injured parties. The pot of moneys would be built from extorting money from manufacturers and others involved in transportation. Of course all such costs will be passed on to the buyers of these vehicles, forgetting the owners will, by and large, not be responsible for accidents. WI'd bet here will always be, owner negligence/contribution with respect to maintenance or illegal modifications and such. Plenty of room in the coming world for personal injury attorneys.
I seriously doubt the various bar associations are going to allow their members to be left out of the coming festivities.

 

[bluto]

My car is already semi autonomous , it has active collision avoidance and it will gently tug the steering wheel if it senses to close to center line or side of the road. If I set the cruise control , it slows automatically all the way to a full stop behind the car in front of me. I can’t run over a pedestrian or back into an obstacle on a parking lot , car stops.
I don’t feel like the government is trying to run my life , I can still buy a beater if I would like .

 

[warren]

I can still buy a beater if I would like .

This month anyway. Can't do that in Japan today. I'd guess there are other countries with regulations regarding used cares, their age and condition. Well, you can buy one but, before it'll see the highway, it'll have to meet rather severe restrictions with regard to condition and appearance.

 

[brian64]

It's neither a question of "control" nor choice. Driverless vehicles are simply the coming thing, neither good nor bad.

Sure...as long as it's voluntary.
If it becomes illegal to drive the car yourself, then it will be BS totalitarian control.
Or if it's still legal, but the cost of insurance to do so is way beyond the means of the average person, then that too will be BS totalitarian control.
And yeah, I know the standard argument about all such things: it's a privilege, not a right. Sure...everything's a privilege now. In other words...you get whatever rights you can afford to purchase.
I can see it now: every time someone is maimed or killed by an autonomous vehicle it won’t make the news...just a quick and quiet cash payment and the MSM will only tout how safe the technology is. But whenever someone is killed or injured by one of the remaining holdout, Neanderthal self-drivers, the MSM will turn it into a national crisis...and George Soros will be funding protest groups to demand that the government finally put an end to the insane people insisting on operating motor vehicles themselves and causing such carnage.
You'll be required by law to purchase insurance to walk down the street at some point.
As Warren Zevon said,
It’s the kingdom of the spiders

It’s the empire of the ants

You need a permit to walk around downtown

You need a license to dance

 

[cosmicfolklore]

 

[brian64]

I can't wait to see the autonomous motorcycles. They'll be able to sell that to the sheep real easy...now you can ride a Harley without ever having to learn how! Free leather jacket and tattoo with every purchase!

 

[olkofri]

My car is already semi autonomous , it has active collision avoidance and it will gently tug the steering wheel if it senses to close to center line or side of the road.

Well, having driven one of those new POS's with anti-collision technology through a parking lot in Elsaß, I know how mcuh I hate all this shit new tech: damn thing beeping the hell out every time I went into the the upwards tunnel to the next level, all because the walls were "too close" to the darn front bumper. It's Europe, for crying out loud! The spaces and streets and whatnot are cramped, of course I'm gonna get too close!
The stupid car also had parking assistance, which was beeping madly when I was trying to back into a parking stall, even though there was plenty of room between the next car and mine. Playing it safe to ridiculous extents. I can tell them where they can put their newfangled 'safety' BS. The hell I wanna drive a car that's fighting me for control all the time.

 

[warren]

Of course it'll be voluntary. No one is forced to operate on taxpayer owned roads. You'll have that choice. Many people opt to not drive. Many people will opt to not own a driverless vehicle.
If you wish to operate on roads built by the government, you will do so only on terms acceptable to the government. You aren't required to like the situation of course. But, all you have to do to participate is follow the rules. And, it's entirely your choise to drive or not.
You could build your own roads of course, on your own property and make your own rules. But, for goodness sakes, do not let anyone else, even your kin, drive on your road, the financial exposure would be huge in the event of an injury, especially if you haven't set any boundaries or rules which might mitigate your responsibility a tiny bit as the owner. Your homeowners insurer would not be happy. I doubt they'd pay unless you had undertaken special coverage for your road.
Even today you can operate an unregistered vehicle, without a license, only as long as you do so in a "reasonable" manner and do not endanger/injure/kill others, on your own property or "go-cart" track or other "open to the public" amusement. Even they usually have age and sobriety thresholds. And, oh the horror, horsepower restricted vehicles.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Things start as "options." The option for automatic transmission... satellite radio... navigational computer... then try buying a new car without these things. Well, I guess you could get a bottom line something or other. But, these "options" become the rule, instead of the exception. Already you can't work on these things any more. Even my truck has to be "hooked up" to get everything in synch. My wife's car has to be taken in to have the operating system updated about every year, which is few days of inconvenience. Next, we will all be beeping as we park. Sure, sure... I can get a VW Bug and keep it running for the rest of my life, but... even parts for those things is ridiculous these days.

 

[danish]

Look at it this way: With autopilot, you may soon be able to ride more safely, easier and more comfortably, while smoking your pipe enroute ;-) I understand the anxiety surrounding new technology but we still have the choice of not letting the gear control us, take the old car, train , bus or bicycle and most of us are lucky living in a democracy. After having had the privilege of driving several electric cars, incl. BMW i3, Nissan E-NV200 Van and my brother's Tesla, returning to an old tech fossil burner feels like lighting a noisy cigar in a crowded restaurant. The time when tobacco smoke in restaurants and fuel smoke in the streets were allowed, will soon be over and range anxiety will only belong to those depending on gas stations. Can only recommend selling the ICE car and lease an EV, until the batteries are more affordable and the disruption is total.

 

[bluto]

The hell I wanna drive a car that's fighting me for control all the time.

You know you can switch it off right ?