Self-driving car release in less than a year

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Safety precautions, Kirsten. Do you want the "emergency stop" button removed from a roller coaster? The state governments will look at it in the same light.
 
There will still be more responsibility in a car, behind the wheel. I still will never drive.
We are imperfect, cars are made imperfect. Accidents will still happen.

I, for one, will never drive. I am 71 and I decided that when I was 16. At that time, people with epilepsy could drive. My sister chose to and she had 3 accidents in 3 days, due to seizures.

What will the laws be for us with epilepsy, driving a car without a driver?
 
Constant surveillance by the NSADOT. :roflmao:
Honestly, though, I don't expect to see any exceptions being made. I imagine penalties for sleeping drivers, too.

Maybe we'll discuss on my next show. ;)
 
N Sperlo said:
Constant surveillance by the NSADOT. :roflmao:
Honestly, though, I don't expect to see any exceptions being made. I imagine penalties for sleeping drivers, too.
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What does NSADOT stand for?

There are all ready fines for sleeping drivers in CA. :twocents:
 
I made NSADOT up. A cross between those who spy on us (NSA) and department of transportation (DOT). I'm sure it will really remain for states to decide.
 
It seems like they go together. Ask Snowden, he wants to come back to the USA.

I agree with you about the states deciding. It has always been that way.
 
N Sperlo said:
Safety precautions, Kirsten. Do you want the "emergency stop" button removed from a roller coaster? The state governments will look at it in the same light.
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Did you read the article, Sperlo? Safety precautions are considered.

To operate the car, the passenger merely presses a button to start the car and then inputs the destination into the car’s computer that utilizes Google Maps. The car does the rest. However, there is an emergency break available, to be used if necessary.

The car currently tops out at 40 km/h (25 mph) as a safety measure. The vehicles also don’t have many comfort features to speak of, unless you count seat belts and leg room as “features”.
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Plus....

Self-driving cars could also be beneficial to those who cannot drive regular cars due to advanced age, vision impairments, or certain medical conditions. Depending on what happens with regulations, it could also be used by someone under the age of 16.
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Now, I could certainly use this, especially in the winter time when the temp is -10. Plus, this car will not be able to go fast. A safety measure. But, it would help me get my groceries home without any help from others. And yes, there are concerns for accidents, too. That is also discussed in the article.
 
I actually think that if the car is legally accessible by epilepsy patients and others with medical conditions or who are taking medication, it will reduce the death toll on the roads. People drive when they have uncontrolled epilepsy, as we see here on the forum, and if a self-driving car is accessible and affordable, I believe that those people would choose it above an ordinary car that they'd be more likely have accidents in. About a year ago, when information first hit the news about this car, they headlined it for blind people.
 
In CA, if you drive only 25 miles per hour, you will get hit from a car behind you. My hubby almost gets hit going the speed limit. People are very impatient in CA.

You sure could not drive the car on the Los Angeles freeways. They are a mess.
 
Ruth said:
In CA, if you drive only 25 miles per hour, you will get hit from a car behind you. My hubby almost gets hit going the speed limit. People are very impatient in CA.

You sure could not drive the car on the Los Angeles freeways. They are a mess.
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Not only in CA, but in all cities would you get hit if you were to go only 25 mph on the freeway. I really don't think they are considered for the freeway, anyway.

I was at Starbucks the other day and a friend saw this article in the Wall Street Journal. She jokingly said, "Look, here's a car for you, it goes your speed. But you couldn't get on the freeway going 25 mph. You'd have to have you're own special road."
 
What I'd like to know is, when the car is driving local streets how does it know if there is a stop sign at an intersection? Or if there are traffic lights, how does it know when the light changes from green to yellow or when it changes from red to green?

Just wondering :ponder:
 
Good point, Delores. I didn't even think of that. I didn't see mention of it in the article.
 
Dolores said:
What I'd like to know is, when the car is driving local streets how does it know if there is a stop sign at an intersection? Or if there are traffic lights, how does it know when the light changes from green to yellow or when it changes from red to green?

Just wondering :ponder:
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There are apparently all sorts of recognition programs and software that can "see" all of those things. In addition, the sensors can tell if a cat or person or ball or whatever is coming onto the street. (Or a car running a stop sign.)
 
We have blinking lights at the intersection after the electricity goes out. It happens quite frequently at one intersection in the town we live in. We just have to count on everyone being courteous.

A car does not know how to be courteous and respectful of other drivers.
 
The way it was presented on the show. No steering wheel. Just brakes. The car is doing the driving. Just like in the Old West, you could tell your horse to take you home. And it did.
I think this is great!
M
 
Dolores said:
What I'd like to know is, when the car is driving local streets how does it know if there is a stop sign at an intersection? Or if there are traffic lights, how does it know when the light changes from green to yellow or when it changes from red to green?

Just wondering :ponder:
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I did a show where we discussed this and the safety concerns along with price. You may find it interesting. I'll dig it up later.
 
Just went through all my shows. It was a show late last year that we covered the info and it was consequently lost in the website update. Maybe a good topic to revisit within the next few weeks.
 
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