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Driverless Cars

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User62651

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In the news a lot and mentioned in the budget today but what are peoples views? So many things can happen on the road that human instinct reacts to through a 6th sense of sorts that comes with experience, those things you learn to anticipate happening up ahead, just can't see how a computer can make those percentage decisions.

For example, there's a drunk driver heading towards you, crossing onto your side of the road, how does a driverless car's computer know whether to take evasive action and swerve off the road or take a head on? Can it be programmed to head into a field or verge in the split seconds it has to decide and before the human can retake control?

Why can't people continue to drive the cars, are we getting that lazy?
 
I was quite up for the idea of driverless cars until my new car which has ACC, Adaptive Cruise Control. This is meant to be one step behind driverless systems.

Your second paragraph has it spot on. I had two scary moments with it. First is when cars join from a slip road. My cars radar didn't see them until they were right in front of me at which point I had disengaged, preventing an emergency stop. Second moment. A tractor on the inside lane of a dual carriageway. I'm doing 70 and see the tractor but my car would not pick it up until it was within radar distance directly in front of me, you set it but normally it would be approx 4 car lengths, maybe more. Certainly not enough to cope with a tractor doing 20mph when I am doing 70mph.

I rarely use my ACC now, contraflows mainly, but this experience has changed my opinion. Driverless can work in certain circumstances, motorway convoys for example, sort the slip road issue out though, but there are too many questionable issues that need answering for me at this stage. No doubt the boffins are on it so I will be interested to see how they progress.
 
To my way of thinking, until ALL cars are driverless, having one non-driverless car on the road is a recipe for disaster. You can't program a car tomcope with human error.
Even the ones they have now are not really 'driverless' - someone has to sit in the driver's seat, ready to take over at a moment's notice.
I do this for a living and it's not as easy as you might think.
There are too many distractions that can take your attention from what's going on.
Reactions need to be quick, you need to be looking further ahead than normal so you have time to react.
If you're having to concentrate that hard on the task you might as well be doing it......
 
Yep, useless unless its all cars, and i can foresee a lot of lobbying by certain manufacturers, Ferrari for instance, against it. Who would buy a sports car, if it drove itself, to the speed limits and imposed rules of a driverless system.

It would also only work if the driver could never intervene. If he can over ride in an unpredictable way, it will be dangerous.

If all cars were driverless, and their where abouts logged, so that other cars knew where they were without having to see them, and would also know where the nearest cars are going, it would be pretty safe.

The pc brigade would love it though. Big brother strikes.
 
Dont like the idea and wouldnt have one. I find the lane keep assist in my new car a thing of annoyance, especially when it doesn't read the blacked over lane marking because of roads works.
As has been said, all or none ultimately, but one question not answered......who has to insure the car if it's fully automated?
 
I am reminded of the recent article about 3 lorries driving in a train without a driver. Looked great for going down a motorway but how on earth were they going to get off on to roundabout safely. Driver to the right sees one lorry but would probably expect to keep going once the first had passed.

Similarly there are gaps which most drivers would get out on to, through experience, which I am sure a computer would not allow.
 
I think a lot of drivers will have re-educate themselves to drive properly to allow for autonomous vehicles :whistle:
 
Gawd help you if your unlucky enough to hit or be hit by one. Imagine trying to convince your insurer - you'd be the only one with the potential for human error !

I wonder what would happen if you wanted to tow a caravan, horse box, boat or car trailer!
 
It’s surely not ready yet, but good to encourage progress. Similar to electric cars.

There was a test in Las Vegas with a driverless buss and a lorry backed into it. Not the bus fault, but a great opportunity for sceptics to jump into.
 
I'm looking forward to seeing it develop, and my next car will have adaptive cruise control and lane assist. I'll give it a decent try out and see where it fits and where it doesn't.

Its already possible for aircraft to take off from Heathrow and land in Sydney without the pilot touching the controls. Admittedly, the roads are somewhat more congested but why can't this be a success?
 
Hobbit said:
I'm looking forward to seeing it develop, and my next car will have adaptive cruise control and lane assist. I'll give it a decent try out and see where it fits and where it doesn't.

Its already possible for aircraft to take off from Heathrow and land in Sydney without the pilot touching the controls. Admittedly, the roads are somewhat more congested but why can't this be a success?
Click to expand...

26 million reasons why..........plus another 600k a year.....
 
Whilst I don't like the idea of driverless cars, some of the technology coming through now is fantastic. Lane departure warning and active braking being just two, both leading to lower insurance group ratings and more importantly, saved lives.
I know from personal experience how good lane departure warning is. On a trip back from France a few years ago, my Nissan's lane departure warning came on and possibly saved me and my daughter from serious injury at least, possibly worse.
And I know of another member of this forum who had a lucky escape after dozing off at the wheel and writing his car off. Lane departure warning could have possibly saved him from that experience.
And like all of these new safety features, they can be individually turned off if you don't want them working for you.
 
I absolutely cannot wait until it's all cars. Humans are so much more distracted/fallible, and cause significantly more accidents. No speeding? Less traffic jams caused by slamming the brakes on? Less accidents as someone has to take an "urgent" phone call? Brilliant.

For those thinking Ferrari may protest or similar.. do you really think the majority of people buy it for it's driving ability? Or do people buy it because it's expensive, looks good, and shows everyone else how much money you have.
 
One advantage of driverless cars maybe that all those drivers that think it is good to drive at 30 mph regardless of the speed limit will be speeded up.
 
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