Driverless Vehicle Craze And Why?

Back in the early 90s I read an article stating that if only 10% of the vehicles in highly congested areas were driverless, it would have a huge positive effect on traffic flow because those cars would anticipate the need to stop/accelerate and manage it better than humans, thus improving the movement of all cars. Years later I worked for a consulting company who did work for Fed and state transportation departments, and I asked one of the guys about that article. He said it was still a valid point.

Besides that, imagine being in an area where one hour (or longer) congested communes were the norm. You could get a lot more done and arrive a lot less stressed if you did not have to stop/go stop/go manually.

Another point: think of it as your personal taxi that would take you anywhere while you slept. You could ride coast-to-coast non-stop (assuming an uninterrupted support infrastructure.)

Lastly, assuming a near-perfected product, traffic accidents and their attendant injuries and deaths would plummet to near nothing, although the infrequent ones would dissuade a lot of folks who do not wish to relinquish control.

I wonder what they'll do about RUIs (Riding Under the Influence.) I guess it will "evolve."

 

Interestingly, air bags (and collapsible steering wheels) caused insurance rates to go up. What used to be a fatality is now an extended hospital/disability payout. Your vital organs are protected, but your extremities are mangled.

 

For now, you have to be present to take over should you the system crash. Tesla has Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keep technology that renders the driver needless, as long as you're staying on the same highway and it has lines the car can recognize.

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My car has those features, but I've never turned on the Lane Keep Assist (nudges the steering so you stay in between the lines.) I do have the fake rumble strip noise enabled should I wander over the line, but out here, most roads don't have the white line on the shoulder, and many lack a line down the middle.

One day I accidentally found out that my car will not let you do what you see in that video. I was driving back home from dinner and had food between my teeth. That stuff drives me nuts, so I got out the dental floss and was steering with my knees (rural straightaway with no traffic.) After a few seconds the voice in my car says "Keep both hands on the steering wheel!" I about pooped. I had no idea that was being monitored. And I have no idea what the next move is should I fail to comply.

 

You brought up the issue of insurance, and I think one of the already-started debates is over where liability falls: the manufacturer of the driverless vehicle, or the unengaged occupant behind the wheel.

I think a good starting point to roll these things out would be in highly congested areas I referred to. Maybe the technology would only kick in at slower speeds. That would provide a benefit in those regions and minimize risk.

 

I think that we might be moving towards a time when fewer people drive everywhere, and more people have things delivered, or use a ride provider, like Uber or Lyft.
This is going to happen faster in cities where the traffic congestion is the worst, and last for people who live out in the country, and their vehicle is the only viable means of transportation.

It is going to be a while before the self-driving car is safe enough for a lot of use, but the truth is that it might be safer than some of the people we see out there driving on the roads right now.
As I am getting older, it makes more sense to me to have someone else doing the driving, even though i am an excellent driver with a lot of experience.
Having a self-driving vehicle would still mean owning or leasing a car and having to have insurance, so I think that if for some reason neither Bobby or I was able to drive anymore, we would do better with the Handicap-Ride van or getting an Uber , rather than owning a self-driving vehicle. What we paid for the ride would be balanced out by no car insurance, repairs, or cost of buying a vehicle.

 

Yup. Then they can all live on properties measured in square miles rather than acres.

It's a wonder my blood hasn't all boiled off.

 

Before long, all of the best roads in the country will be reserved for driverless vehicles. This will be portrayed as a safety measure, to keep us all safe. Roadways not reserved for driverless vehicles will not be maintained, and only the elite and the wealthy will be able to afford a driverless vehicle. One of the global agendas is to reserve travel for the elite.