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Driverless cars

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by PatrickUK, Jul 30, 2014.

  1. PatrickUK

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    The UK government is to allow driverless cars on public roads from next year:

    BBC News - UK to allow driverless cars on public roads

    I think most people who can drive really enjoy getting behind the wheel and having control of the car/vehicle, so I'm wondering if there would be demand amongst existing motorists for driverless cars, but what about the future?

    A few other points:

    Would non-drivers embrace the idea of car ownership, so increasing the number of cars on roads and resulting traffic congestion, or would driverless cars actually improve congestion and road safety by removing the human factor?

    What do you think about driverless cars more generally?

    For or against?
     
  2. Data

    Data Guest

    I personally want to drive. As a car guy, I can't fathom owning a driverless car.
     
  3. QueerTransEnby

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    I like the concept, but I don't trust the technology.
     
  4. maracont

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    I love the idea of driverless cars! It expands the amount of people who can use cars to basically anyone who can read, and lets us use the HUGE amount of wasted time spent driving for something better.
    I also think congestion would decrease because accidents would decrease as more people had driverless cars, and wrecks on the road are often the cause of traffic.
     
  5. asdfghjk

    asdfghjk Guest

    I love just getting behind the wheel and hope that isnt only limited to memory when I am old. Driverless cars are a great idea though I just hope it is more of an option for now :<
     
  6. Kaiser

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    Would I have to exchange my Driver's License for a Rider's License?

    Lol!
     
  7. gibson234

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    Driver less cars if everyone had one could in theory end traffic congestion. Traffic congestion is caused by people slowing down because they have less space of the road. But in theory all the cars could just keep going at 70 with less space as the computers would be able to brake synchronously. The driver less car's AI would be better at driving than Humans as they wouldn't make mistakes or at least a lot less of them.
     
  8. Hexagon

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    I like the concept. Computers seem to be less prone to failure than humans, particularly those with strong failsafes, and the driverless cars would have. However, the somewhat humorous concept occurred to me of google bringing out a new service; Google Assassin. Pay enough, and they'll crash your enemy's car. Now I doubt such a thing would actually happen, but I do wonder if someone might figure a way to abuse it.
     
  9. timo

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    Yep, this. I love driving and I'm not giving that up.
     
  10. Candace

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    I mean, I personally am not the best driver on the planet. I'd like to see more proof first before I decide to get into one of those. I'm still skeptical.
     
  11. Yossarian

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    Driverless cars? By this, I assume you mean someone texting on an iPhone while driving.
     
  12. GArchi1992

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    It'd be like having your own personal taxi! However, the technology is still very new and I don't think I could ever put my full trust into a driverless vehicle!
     
  13. Hexagon

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    I can just imagine our generation in thirty years time, whining about untrustworthy computers driving cars, and how in "our day" a real person was driving. Ah, the good old days. While the teenagers roll their eyes and mock us.
     
  14. PatrickUK

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    I've got 20 years on you Hexagon, so God only knows what pearls I'll be coming out with. I'll be clocking on for 70 in thirty years time. Scary!
     
  15. Stridenttube

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    I don't like the idea of driverless cars, why not just take public transportation if you dont like to drive?

    I love driving and I don't want to give that up. I don't think I could ever give up the keys to my BMW.
     
  16. 741852963

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    Strongly against here.

    I do enjoy driving, and unfortunately I think if driverless cars every became widespread people would eventually be banned from driving full stop. They would probably compare driven cars to driverless cars, say they are more dangerous and hike the insurance premiums up to price drivers off the roads.

    Plus I'm sure driverless cars would only really work if the roads were full of other driverless cars so a ban on driving may be initiated. Its rather dystopian to me. I simply can't imagine not being allowed to drive.

    Other reasons I'm against: you are going to put a hell of a lot of professional drivers out of jobs (only going to strain the economy further), and I'd question their safety in terms of being used for terrorist attacks.

    I'm not an absolute luddite, I think car safety technology (crash prevention, improved sensors and airbags, self-parking etc) is a good thing. However I do think we should avoid automating everything to make life easier for ourselves. It reminds me of HG Wells' "The Time Machine" - a society that makes itself physically and mentally weaker due to not having challenges and threats. I really don't like the thought of a future where everything is done for us - we will have no jobs? And surely society would just crumble as there would be no monetary system? Sheesh, scary.
     
  17. BlueAndWhite

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    I'm genuinely terrified about the people who are willing to let a machine take control of a car for them. As a driver allowing driverless cars on the road is one of my worst nightmares. Given, I think all cars should be required to have a manual, rear-wheel drive and a 3.6 liter turbo V6, but I can see driverless cars leading to many more crashes in icy conditions. As someone who has survived their first winter in Minnesota, I can tell you that you learn techniques for driving in ice and snow that driverless cars won't be able to replicate. The application of power along with counter steering to save a front-wheel drive car from a slide springs to mind, as a computer currently isn't able to think in a "counter-intuitive" way. With the improvement of computer systems especially given Moore's Law which states that the number of transistors on a circuit board double every 2 years, I wouldn't be surprised when insurance rates for driverless cars drop below rates for us traditionalists. If the system of such a car was to crash, the equivalent of the "blue screen of death" for cars (maybe the blue oval(Ford's logo) of death:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:) what will happen to the people who have grown up with driverless cars? Peter Rodgers, from the Institue of Advanced Motorists had this to say: "Society will find that very difficult.We are increasingly a blame culture. When something goes wrong, we look for someone to pin it on. Without accountability, drivers are going to find that harder still." Furthermore, there are those of us, who enjoy the feeling of driving and won't be swayed as easily as most people. Peter Rodgers had this to say about drivers(different to those who drive just from point A to point B)"People are less likely to give up control because you just have to look at the market. There are 70, 80, 90 car magazines on shop shelves bought by people who like their cars. They actually like the feeling. There is an emotional attachment that comes with controlling a machine." Even though there is some disbelief that people could enjoy driving in that quote from him, he is true in that there is a car-culture in a lot of people, especially young(read teens) people, even though only 31% of the 16-year old population had driver licenses(2008, U of Michigan). It's just that car culture has shifted from real-cars to the virtual, with the Gran Turismo series having sold more than 50 million copies, and the newest version of Forza Motorsport selling 500,000 copies in the first 2 months of sales along.

    Long story short, driverless cars may be popular for some people, but there are always those of us who feel that we need to drive a car ourselves.

    Sources:
    Moore's Law, Wikipedia:Moore's law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Driverless Cars, BBC News: BBC News - Will driverless cars mean computer crashes?
    Driverless Cars, Gizmodo: What Will Happen When Your Driverless Car Crashes? | Gizmodo India
    Teen Drivers, Road and Track: Teen Driver Enthusiast Education - Finding Out About What Young Drivers Want - Road & Track
    Gran Turismo Sales Numbers, Gamespot: Gran Turismo series sales hit 67.8 million - GameSpot
    Gran Turismo Sales Numbers, GTPlanet: The sales numbers are disastrous so far... What does this mean? - GTPlanet
    Forza Motorsport Sales Numbers; First 2 Months, Gearnuke(Twitter: Aaron Greenberg, Global Sales Leader, Xbox): Xbox One Software Outsells PS4 Software In US, Ghosts and Battlefield 4 Sold Better On Xbox One And More | GearNuke
     
  18. 741852963

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    Plus these driverless cars, like the Google car appear to be tested in big open spaces, straight American roads, parking lots etc.

    I really don't see how they will cope on UK roads, poor or worn road markings, unusual junctions, country lanes and busy traffic. Jaywalking is not prohibited here either so there is an increased risk involved. Here is where drivers hold the advantage. A driver can see the subtle clues that they need to take more care (be it driving past a school, a pub with drunken patrons etc) - I don't think sensor technology is anywhere near advanced enough to be calculating these hazards. It may spot a pedestrian walking out into the road and slam the brakes on - but a good human driver would have anticipated the risk and slowed down much earlier on.

    And how on earth will they safely manage a narrow one-car width country lane where two cars that meet require one to reverse or drive into an embankment/ditch to make room - the driverless car will surely want to stay on the road and will just come to a standstill!
     
  19. One Man Army

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    I would be very surprised if anyone will be allowed to sit in the 'driver's' seat of a driverless car if they don't already hold a driving licence. Surely there will be some override controls that someone will need to take care of, in case the car does go nuts.

    Eventually they will probably be fully automated when the technology improves, but I can't see that driverless cars will be completely safe and faultless in the early years.

    As for my personal opinion, I'm for driverless cars. Public transport in many rural areas is atrocious, and elderly people in particular will benefit from them.
     
  20. Data

    Data Guest

    1 liter and 2 cylinders bigger than necessary. :grin: Agreed on the RWD manual transmission, but 2.0L turbo diesels are where it's at. I'm also partial to 2.5 liter 5 cylinder turbo diesels, being a Mercedes Benz guy that comes naturally. :slight_smile:

    OM602.911 POWER!