Driverless Cars and The Law

[Starfighter]

speedking31 said:

Mr Taxpayer said:

<SNIP> The reason for setting a speed limit is to ensure an adequate safety margin. If an autonomous car maintains a safety margin at a higher speed then the whole concept of 'speed limits' as an absolute needs to be reviewed.

Ditto traffic lights could be done away with. Autonomous cars would slightly adjust their speed on approach and all pass through a junction like a motorcycle display team.

What about the poor sod driveing a "manual" sitting in the same queue.

Most early hybreds had that "Prius shape" to them making them easy to spot, I anticipate some form of sport on the roads involving driving at self-drive cars knowing that they will take the avoiding action so why bother to give-way.

[speedking31]

Starfighter said:

What about the poor sod driveing a "manual" sitting in the same queue.

Most early hybreds had that "Prius shape" to them making them easy to spot, I anticipate some form of sport on the roads involving driving at self-drive cars knowing that they will take the avoiding action so why bother to give-way.

There will be a lane for old-fashioned manually operated vehicles that has a 5 minute delay while loads of autonomous cars whizz through. The lights will then let 3 or 4 manually operated vehicles through, a bit like a pedestrian phase. All to encourage prompt scrappage.

You could practise driving at other vehicles now, most will avoid you if they can, just like autonomous vehicles

[andygo]

Starfighter said:

What about the poor sod driveing a "manual" sitting in the same queue.

Most early hybreds had that "Prius shape" to them making them easy to spot, I anticipate some form of sport on the roads involving driving at self-drive cars knowing that they will take the avoiding action so why bother to give-way.

That's actually a very interesting point.

[Dammit]

I would imagine that the simple answer to that is that the autonomous cars would transmit the footage of the berk driving at them to the coppers and/or beak, who would issue points accordingly.

[andygo]

Dammit said:

I would imagine that the simple answer to that is that the autonomous cars would transmit the footage of the berk driving at them to the coppers and/or beak, who would issue points accordingly.

Hmm. On the other hand, does that mean that human controlled vehicles have to be extra careful of autonomous vehicles as the camera can never lie?

[andygo]

Dammit said:

I would imagine that the simple answer to that is that the autonomous cars would transmit the footage of the berk driving at them to the coppers and/or beak, who would issue points accordingly.

Hmm. On the other hand, does that mean that human controlled vehicles have to be extra careful of autonomous vehicles as the camera can never lie? I can only imagine that autonomous cars will slow down traffic by a huge degree, for instance at roundabouts. Health and safety will be raised to an ever higher degree of stupidity.