Google test self drive cars

The privacy bunch will have a fit thinking about the information they could mine from your movements.

The purists will have a fit at the prospect of not being able to enjoy driving.

The majority may enjoy the benefits a fully automated high speed point to point travel system would bring. Get where you are going, faster and safer...
 
gord said:
faster
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Presumably this car will drive well below the speed limit in wet conditions (as some people "recommend") and will also be very wary about overtaking meaning it will be slower than humandrivenmobiles?

As for safer, yeah most probably.

My opinion, I want this for boring journeys but the ability to drive when the mood takes me.
 
kinobestew123 said:
Presumably this car will drive well below the speed limit in wet conditions (as some people "recommend") and will also be very wary about overtaking meaning it will be slower than humandrivenmobiles?

As for safer, yeah most probably.

My opinion, I want this for boring journeys but the ability to drive when the mood takes me.
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If all cars are computer controlled they can all go faster as there is no thinking time and they can all communicate where they're going with each other so coordinate overtaking manoeuvres/general traffic flow much better. ie no hogging the middle lane.
 
kinobestew123 said:
Presumably this car will drive well below the speed limit in wet conditions (as some people "recommend") and will also be very wary about overtaking meaning it will be slower than human drivenmobiles?
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when interlinked, you would have far far better traffic management and flow. Most slow spots on motorways would be eliminated, as this is due to waves caused by drivers. Travel would be much faster, especially at busy periods. But most if not everyone would need it.
Would greatly increase traffic capacity, reduce fuel and so on.
 
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Haha, busty periods.

Good points about the traffic flow, would work well at junctions when both roads are busy. Could operate a very quick one car from each road system, no need for traffic lights, etc.

I was thinking more along the lines of country lanes though, might be a bit rubbish there. In the wet it would drive much slower than is really necessasry just to stop the car sliding?
 
In my Minority Report/Irobot vision.

There wouldn't be junctions. Traffic would pass seamlessly in/out of each other as the automation would control it.

There wouldnt be overtaking. There would be no need. There wouldnt be slow drivers. Although, HGVs may need to be overtaken, but it wouldnt be dangerous at all. The computer would know if traffic was coming the other way. Infact, it could utilise both lanes for maximum speed around corners rather than staying left as we currently do.

Weather wouldnt be an issue. The sensors could easily detect what the weather is doing, and whether the vehicle is losing traction well before a human could and react before you even knew you were slipping.
 
It's an interesting idea, but i can' t see it taking off for a while though as the millions of drivers out there have to first be persuaded to give up control of their vehicles and there are still many problems that could crop up.

I mean theoretically with computers controlling all of the traffic it could move much faster, but on the other hand it only takes one car with a software bug or mechanical problem to screw up and potentially you've got a very serious crash on your hands (Unless whatever system controlling everything is insanely fast in responding to a 'hiccup'). The example of traffic passing seamlessly at a junction is a good example.

But then on the other hand, it could be much more efficient and eliminate a fair amount of human error when driving.
 
Tefal said:
As opposed to the drunk blokes ploughing into all sorts we have now?
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Not opposed to anything, just saying what could happen. As i said having everything automated could eliminate human error and so all your drunk/sleep deprived drivers would be prevented from causing any harm. In theory it would be good.

There's still the risk of computer error if its automated. I guess it all comes down to what people what to risk tbh. A fault in the machine, or the driver(s)?

I can't see anything like this being rolled out for a very long time until it's almost flawless tbh.
 
iirc 10 people are killed a day in this country in car accidents.

Can it really be any worse than people?
 
TBh at some point there should not be a choice. It would be in the countries interest for such a system to be implemented. Any risk will be far lower than human risk.
 
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