Often mentioned in the press as if it's a foregone conclusion that it's going to happen big time, but do you think it will become mainstream , or is it a passing fad , that's just being tested?
Often mentioned in the press as if it's a foregone conclusion that it's going to happen big time, but do you think it will become mainstream , or is it a passing fad , that's just being tested?
Fad for me, there's far too many Top Gear types to do away with driving
I think it will take ages to phase out our current cars, but provided technology continues to develop and we don't blow ourselves up/ break our planet, then 100% computer controlled travel is inevitable.
It's not just that you don't have to steer or brake, central computer systems would manage traffic flow. Imagine if every single car was connected when on the road, distances and speeds would all be related, not controlled by maniac humans. To an extent that's already started - motorway signs give varying speeds to stop traffic build ups, and Google Maps have coloured sections on roads to denote heavy or light traffic zones. In 50 years that would probably seem as primitive to people then as 1920s cars seem to us.
And the idea of daily road-related car crashes that kill people instantly and in ways too gruesome to ever be reported, that'll just be seen as barbaric and almost unbelievable.
Edit - I think the film Minority Report has it nailed - they had a think tank of 'futurologists' and scientists and the roads/ cars in that movie make a lot of sense. Manually driven in the country, fully automated in cities.
Bring it on. Let's hope this reduces - and better still, does away with - road rage. If these vehicles are powered by electricity, or liquefied petroleum gas, much of the air-borne pollution, caused currently by minute particles of soot in diesel fuel, will be reduced (and, perhaps, removed).
Just needs the roads adapted. I've got traffic assist on my Audi and it can steer itself on any road with clear lane markings, maintains a safe distance behind car in front in cruise control and stops and starts itself in traffic, brakes automatically and reduces speed approaching bends, road junctions and roundabouts and stops if a pedestrian steps into the road. Reads speed signs and can limit car to that speed if you choose. Not perfect, sometimes picks up pedestrians still on the pavement, but everything can be overridden in real time.
Came across a cyclist the other night riding along a country road with no lights and the car picked it up and braked before I realised he was there.
I think in 50 years no one will drive a car and they will do it all for us
Glad I'll be long gone by then, I love driving. Nothing I like better than dropping the roof on my old MG late on a summer evening and going out for a spin.
I think in 50 years no one will drive a car and they will do it all for us
Glad I'll be long gone by then, I love driving. Nothing I like better than checking the headlights work, dropping the roof on my old MG late on a summer evening and going out for a spin up to Dartford Heath.
Sounds a nightmare. Was always being told which way to go, that I was going too fast, too slow whilst running errands, got to be such a pain in the arse. At least we're divorced now...
Bring it on. Let's hope this reduces - and better still, does away with - road rage. If these vehicles are powered by electricity, or liquefied petroleum gas, much of the air-borne pollution, caused currently by minute particles of soot in diesel fuel, will be reduced (and, perhaps, removed).
Yes but not as much fun as driving my gas guzzler!
Bring it on. Let's hope this reduces - and better still, does away with - road rage. If these vehicles are powered by electricity, or liquefied petroleum gas, much of the air-borne pollution, caused currently by minute particles of soot in diesel fuel, will be reduced (and, perhaps, removed).
Yes but not as much fun as driving my gas guzzler!
Especially like the smell of unburt petrol on a really inefficient engine (with a huge cubic capacity)
I think we already have them, judging by the number of people eating fast food, smoking, playing on their phones or putting make up on whilst behind the wheel.
Bring it on. Let's hope this reduces - and better still, does away with - road rage. If these vehicles are powered by electricity, or liquefied petroleum gas, much of the air-borne pollution, caused currently by minute particles of soot in diesel fuel, will be reduced (and, perhaps, removed).
Yes but not as much fun as driving my gas guzzler!
Especially like the smell of unburt petrol on a really inefficient engine (with a huge cubic capacity)
Potential of smart road technology has been around for about 20 years. Too many commercial interests to make any of this a reality. Nothing much will change until one day when the computers /robots just take over.
The reality of driverless cars will make car ownership a possibility for many who are currently disenfranchised; old people, people with severe disabilities even little kids. We can therefore reasonably expect far more cars on the road. The only way of coping with the increase may be to make driving on autopilot with intelligent roads mandatory for all but the quietest routes.
I think there could be a lot of legal and insurance issues, ie if the "driver" is drunk but the car is fully automatic does a ban stand?, if theres a accident and someones run over is the owner/driver/manufacturor responsible, if two automatic cars collide who's responsible? if temporary speed restrictions are introduced will the car adapt of will the "driver" be guilty if speeding? etc
I think in 50 years no one will drive a car and they will do it all for us
Glad I'll be long gone by then, I love driving. Nothing I like better than dropping the roof on my old MG late on a summer evening and going out for a spin.
I think in some cities it may work but I have concerns over the 'morals' of the control system.
If the car is in a situation where it has to serve to avoid a pedestrian that stepped out in front of it. However if it swerves left it will hit a group of old ladies at a bus stop. If it swerves right it will avoid the pedestrian and the bus stop but will drive into a wall possibly killing the people in the car. How does it make that decision? Does it value the life of the owner above others or does it treat all life equally?
I dont ever see myself getting a Driverless Car... I love to get behind the wheel of the car and go for a leisurely drive, am no petrol head, nor do I speed but just love the feeling of it.
I think in some cities it may work but I have concerns over the 'morals' of the control system.
If the car is in a situation where it has to serve to avoid a pedestrian that stepped out in front of it. However if it swerves left it will hit a group of old ladies at a bus stop. If it swerves right it will avoid the pedestrian and the bus stop but will drive into a wall possibly killing the people in the car. How does it make that decision? Does it value the life of the owner above others or does it treat all life equally?
We need some laws to govern this. Perhaps... three laws will suffice:
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Driverless/driverless option cars will dominate our roads in 10-15 years. The technology is already being rolled out in small bites with self parking, self breaking/distance maintenance systems etc on even the most basic models. Once the battery technology of a mass production company (i.e. Nissan) allows for a 250+ mile range it'll be game over for combustion engines too.
I do believe they are coming. I love driving, but I also like drinking and I'm getting old. My 92 year-old father-in-law give up his car earlier this year and is now reliant on us and the buses - if driverless cars were a reality now, he'd still have his independence.
The problem comes when driverless cars have to interact with idiot human drivers, once all cars are driverless the roads will be immensely safer.
I wonder if driverless cars will always need to have a human in them, because if not, you'd never need to pay to park at the station again - just send it home to park outside your house until you call it back to pick you up.
I also wonder if you would need to own a driverless car or just call one up when you need it.
I presume driverless cars from BMW will have a built in function that allows them to drive 5mm from the car in front and flash their lights when on motorways?
I presume driverless cars from BMW will have a built in function that allows them to drive 5mm from the car in front and flash their lights when on motorways?
The indicators will also be de-activated.
(says until very recently a committed BMW driver!!)
It's one thing to have driverless features (which are already fairly common) but quite another to be fully autonomous which I find to be utterly preposterous outside of some limited areas.
Comments
It's not just that you don't have to steer or brake, central computer systems would manage traffic flow. Imagine if every single car was connected when on the road, distances and speeds would all be related, not controlled by maniac humans. To an extent that's already started - motorway signs give varying speeds to stop traffic build ups, and Google Maps have coloured sections on roads to denote heavy or light traffic zones. In 50 years that would probably seem as primitive to people then as 1920s cars seem to us.
And the idea of daily road-related car crashes that kill people instantly and in ways too gruesome to ever be reported, that'll just be seen as barbaric and almost unbelievable.
Edit - I think the film Minority Report has it nailed - they had a think tank of 'futurologists' and scientists and the roads/ cars in that movie make a lot of sense. Manually driven in the country, fully automated in cities.
Came across a cyclist the other night riding along a country road with no lights and the car picked it up and braked before I realised he was there.
Like Dave, love driving and tinkering with classic cars. I'll leave Dartford heath alone though.
But being driven to work every morning or having a kip and waking up in the alps sounds good!
If the car is in a situation where it has to serve to avoid a pedestrian that stepped out in front of it. However if it swerves left it will hit a group of old ladies at a bus stop. If it swerves right it will avoid the pedestrian and the bus stop but will drive into a wall possibly killing the people in the car. How does it make that decision? Does it value the life of the owner above others or does it treat all life equally?
- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
- A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
There. Faultless. Nothing can go wrong now.
The problem comes when driverless cars have to interact with idiot human drivers, once all cars are driverless the roads will be immensely safer.
I wonder if driverless cars will always need to have a human in them, because if not, you'd never need to pay to park at the station again - just send it home to park outside your house until you call it back to pick you up.
I also wonder if you would need to own a driverless car or just call one up when you need it.
(says until very recently a committed BMW driver!!)