What will be the long term impact of driverless cars?

I see a very long period where a trip will involve both manual and automated driving.

Initially I'll manually go out the driveway and through the neighborhood (where there is no stripe to stay between) and collector streets (where some kid painted over a stop sign hiding it from sensors). Only when I get on the interstate will I put it on autopilot. I'll have to take it off to exit.

There will be a government sponsored GIS database, continuously and automatically updated, that will determine "autopilot safe" roads that have all the necessary features for your sensors to work. The car GPS will link to this database to enable/disable autopilot depending on what road you're on, but you'll still choose if you want to use it. Something like a construction zone or a wreck would change an autopilot road to manual only. I think drivers and driverless sharing the road will be no more dangerous than the current setup.

Then, as we get comfortable with the technology, mandatory autopilot roads will start to pop up beginning with major highways. Your car will go auto as soon as you're on the road and you cant change it. Only then will we be able to utilize the higher speeds and drafting. Over time nearly all roads will become mandatory auto as local governments implement the necessary features on the smaller roads.

Beyond 2000 wrote:

Driverless cars are not going to happen until the insurance companies and law enforcement can hammer out liability issues.

You idiot, The laws are written by legislators. The Ins Cos and Cops have nothing to do with writing laws.

The leftists will jump in to ban or regulate them out of existence the first time some freak accident occurs even though they will be far safer than cars driven by people. Also the leftists will ban then when they put pizza drivers out of work even though they will create jobs in entirely new industries. They won't last long with today's leftists around. Anything that moves mankind forward, the left is going to kill.

Most truckers, taxi drivers, and Chauffeurs will be laid off. People will begin to fully see the effect of automation on modern society. It's only the beginning.

Strhhsch wrote:

The leftists will jump in to ban or regulate them out of existence the first time some freak accident occurs even though they will be far safer than cars driven by people. Also the leftists will ban then when they put pizza drivers out of work even though they will create jobs in entirely new industries. They won't last long with today's leftists around. Anything that moves mankind forward, the left is going to kill.

Exactly. They will pander to some truck driver's union.

Typical runner or sockpuppet wrote:

There are a whole bunch of states that already have driverless cars.

Today Volvo just announced that they'll accept liability for the harm they do, in cases where the car's software is at fault.

Driverless cars are going to crash, but they've already shown that their accident rates are lower than cars driven by humans.

I'd like to see driverless cars operating out in the country where deer are all over the roads. Somewhere like West Virginia with its windy mountain roads, some of which are still dirt, will never be getting driverless cars.

More free time to read, watch tv, play video games, sleep, learn a new skill

Fewer accidents

Mass energy savings

Shorter travel times

It will be a great relief from passengerless cars

I can't wait. wrote:

More free time to read,

More pregnancies. While the car drives itself the couple can hop in the back seat.

Edward Teach wrote:

Typical runner or sockpuppet wrote:

There are a whole bunch of states that already have driverless cars.

Today Volvo just announced that they'll accept liability for the harm they do, in cases where the car's software is at fault.

Driverless cars are going to crash, but they've already shown that their accident rates are lower than cars driven by humans.

I'd like to see driverless cars operating out in the country where deer are all over the roads. Somewhere like West Virginia with its windy mountain roads, some of which are still dirt, will never be getting driverless cars.

Why? Driverless cars would perform better in those areas.

automatic FTW wrote:

Edward Teach wrote:

I'd like to see driverless cars operating out in the country where deer are all over the roads. Somewhere like West Virginia with its windy mountain roads, some of which are still dirt, will never be getting driverless cars.

Why? Driverless cars would perform better in those areas.

I was wondering about that too. There are things that driverless cars struggle with, but they generally involve subtle or complex traffic flows. When it comes to simply avoiding unexpected obstacles they are much better.

#1) Just say no to driverless cars

#2) Um, ever heard of oogle glass?

#3) It will flop.

People love their cars. They love driving them.

no thank you wrote:

People love their cars. They love driving them.

Speak for yourself. I look forward to the day when I'll never sit in the front seat of a car again - I'll be in the back doing something useful or taking a nap or getting drunk instead of a stupid, mindless activity like driving that a computer can do.

Google car insurance wrote:

I think this is the solution, to make manual driving illegal. Driverless technology isn't the problem, it's the human drivers around them.

I'm sorry, you can't drive to the coast this weekend. The quota for that road has been filled.

Sudden snow storm in the mountain passes, whole system stops, or mass accidents. Or you won't be allowed to go somewhere.

Driverless is going nowhere. It is today's google glass. A solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

not a good thing wrote:

...Driverless is going nowhere. It is today's google glass. A solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Some folks think that 1.2 million deaths annually from traffic accidents could be considered to be a problem.

Well I Dunno wrote:

not a good thing wrote:

...Driverless is going nowhere. It is today's google glass. A solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Some folks think that 1.2 million deaths annually from traffic accidents could be considered to be a problem.

How could it be that high? Here it says 33804 in the US, where they drive alot.

Also:

"If the current estimate holds, road deaths will have fallen 26 percent since 2005. But they’ll also have dropped by more than 40 percent since hitting a peak of 54,589 in 1972. As recently as 1978 more than 50,000 Americans were killed each year in highway crashes. The figure dropped below 40,000 in 2008 – for only the second time -- dipping to 37,423. "

Heart disease is a far bigger problem.

As best I can tell, a large percentage of the cars on the road today are basically driverless. Few people actually know how to drive let alone attempt it while not looking at their cell phone.

I'm surprised so many of you in this thread don't think self-driving cars will become common place. They're already better than human drivers. Sure they're not perfect now, but think 10, 20, 30 years in the future. There's is a massive incentive for companies to invest in this technology.

Imagine how much faster and cheaper things could be shipped if you didn't need a human driving. Won't have to worry about the driver stopping to eat, go to the bathroom, or sleep. People could more work done on their computers in their cars on their way to work if they didn't have to drive. Especially people with long commutes. Taxi companies wouldn't have to pay for human drivers.

Even without business think of other conveniences. Lost in a city? Tell the car's GPS where to go. Boom you don't have to keep stopping to look at a map or your phone. Got drunk at a bar and can't drive? The car will take you home. Really tired from a night out? Same.

Typical runner or sockpuppet wrote:

There are a whole bunch of states that already have driverless cars.

There are not. There are a few states that allow TESTING of autonomous cars with a human inside who can take control of the car at any time. That's not "driverless," any more than cruise control is.

Today Volvo just announced that they'll accept liability for the harm they do, in cases where the car's software is at fault.

Civil liability is not enough when it comes to killing people. Someone has to go to jail or the law has no teeth.

Driverless cars are going to crash, but they've already shown that their accident rates are lower than cars driven by humans.

"They" presumably being the corporations testing autonomous cars, presumably using professional drivers who can override the autopilot anytime something goes wrong.