Driverless cars in the UK

Driverless cars in the UK

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Discussion

spikey78

701 posts

181 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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These would never work in a city-every pedestrian/cyclist/motorist would know that you could walk/pull out in front of one and all the emergency gubbings would make it stop. It would never move!

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

170 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Mound Dawg

1,915 posts

174 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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thinkofaname said:
I think it car ownership will drop, and people who do need cars will increasingly buy smaller ones. No need for a massive people mover if most of the time it's just you in it.
Explain why most massive people movers you see already have just one person in them, or more likely his wife chauffeuring one small child to school.

Most big cars are bought for the same reason as Rolex watches are, not because the owner needs to know what time it is. It's because he needs other people to know how much money he has.



Munter

31,319 posts

241 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Ed. said:
Mr Will said:
Ed. said:
That's an optimistic viewpoint, the thread about this 2 months ago recognised that risk taking humans would take advantage of safe computers cutting them up etc. A few years down the line the zero death rate of driverless cars will make normal car look like an unacceptable danger.

It would be easier to automate all trains before cars but the market is clearly too small.
We've not outlawed motorbikes, bicycles, horses or any other form of transport based on safety grounds. Why would we do it for cars?
Expectations for preservation of life continue to increase and horses aren't used for serious transport. Driverless vehicles will replace cars, trucks and motorbikes at the same time. Cycling could continue with it's exercise benefits and reduced risk from ultra safe driverless vehicles.
The main point is driverless vehicles could make all human controlled vehicles look dangerous.
But the point still stands. Riding a horse is a very dangerous thing to do. It's still perfectly acceptable to do on the road though. Driving a car yourself will occupy a similar niche. Most people will not, but the system will allow for it because it always has, and what would be gained by stopping it when only 0.5% of the population get involved in it.

johnny-b

180 posts

175 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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I am sure they will make a better job of it than most of the tossers on the A1 this and every other morning, hopefully the programming will include using the inside lane.

272BHP

5,030 posts

236 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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Computer controlled cars will be incredibly orderly, neatly filing behind each over and peeling off at junctions seamlessly, it will be very impressive but totally joyless.

Dammit

3,790 posts

208 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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In stark contrast to how joyful rush-hour driving normally is?

If you opaque the windows of your driverless car (why do you need to see out?) you* could experience considerably more "joy" than in a normal car, I submit.

  • And a friend

272BHP

5,030 posts

236 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
quotequote all
Dammit said:
In stark contrast to how joyful rush-hour driving normally is?

If you opaque the windows of your driverless car (why do you need to see out?) you* could experience considerably more "joy" than in a normal car, I submit.

  • And a friend
Can be, although not in rush hour granted.

Negative Creep

24,964 posts

227 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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On the plus side, all the Speed Camera Partnerships would be on the dole

Ed.

2,173 posts

238 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
quotequote all
Munter said:
Ed. said:
Mr Will said:
Ed. said:
That's an optimistic viewpoint, the thread about this 2 months ago recognised that risk taking humans would take advantage of safe computers cutting them up etc. A few years down the line the zero death rate of driverless cars will make normal car look like an unacceptable danger.

It would be easier to automate all trains before cars but the market is clearly too small.
We've not outlawed motorbikes, bicycles, horses or any other form of transport based on safety grounds. Why would we do it for cars?
Expectations for preservation of life continue to increase and horses aren't used for serious transport. Driverless vehicles will replace cars, trucks and motorbikes at the same time. Cycling could continue with it's exercise benefits and reduced risk from ultra safe driverless vehicles.
The main point is driverless vehicles could make all human controlled vehicles look dangerous.
But the point still stands. Riding a horse is a very dangerous thing to do. It's still perfectly acceptable to do on the road though. Driving a car yourself will occupy a similar niche. Most people will not, but the system will allow for it because it always has, and what would be gained by stopping it when only 0.5% of the population get involved in it.
I don't disagree, just think it will be sad because I like cars and motorbikes and realise they will only get more expensive and less convenient to use as they become less of a priority.
As with other niche interests it will become something that has to be justified to those it inconveniences. How do you think insurance companies and dvla will interpret a spirited drive in the countryside in a tracked vehicle. It will come but hopefully not too soon.

Edited by Ed. on Wednesday 30th July 23:28

Mr GrimNasty

8,172 posts

170 months

Wednesday 30th July 2014
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spikey78 said:
These would never work in a city-every pedestrian/cyclist/motorist would know that you could walk/pull out in front of one and all the emergency gubbings would make it stop. It would never move!
Exactly, every oik under the sun will have a field day. No need to wait at junctions when you see one coming. Some idealistic progressive idiots just haven't thought through the complexities and just how much existing infrastructure and laws/rules will have to be changed.

Lv2spd2

33 posts

118 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Hmm... 13 year old hackers playing hob with driverless traffic?

Never happen.


RobDickinson

31,343 posts

254 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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I guess some people just can't see it..

But cars as a service is going to be the future.

UK's vehicle stock is quite young, in 10 - 15 years most cars will be self driving. The change will be rapid.

Kawasicki

13,078 posts

235 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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RobDickinson said:
I guess some people just can't see it..

But cars as a service is going to be the future.

UK's vehicle stock is quite young, in 10 - 15 years most cars will be self driving. The change will be rapid.
Somebody better tell the major car companies that a rapid change is coming....

And now back to reality.

technodup

7,580 posts

130 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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Kawasicki said:
Somebody better tell the major car companies that a rapid change is coming....

And now back to reality.
Reality? The reality is PH is full of automotive flat earthers.

Wikipedia said:
Numerous major companies and research organizations have developed working prototype autonomous vehicles, including Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Continental Automotive Systems, Autoliv Inc., Bosch, Nissan, Toyota, Audi, Volvo, Vislab from University of Parma, Oxford University and Google.
This is coming, like it or not. How soon will subject to legal issues rather than tech ones. And I'd suggest that as usual money will talk, and the brands above have lots of it.

Kawasicki

13,078 posts

235 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
quotequote all
technodup said:
Kawasicki said:
Somebody better tell the major car companies that a rapid change is coming....

And now back to reality.
Reality? The reality is PH is full of automotive flat earthers.

Wikipedia said:
Numerous major companies and research organizations have developed working prototype autonomous vehicles, including Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Continental Automotive Systems, Autoliv Inc., Bosch, Nissan, Toyota, Audi, Volvo, Vislab from University of Parma, Oxford University and Google.
This is coming, like it or not. How soon will subject to legal issues rather than tech ones. And I'd suggest that as usual money will talk, and the brands above have lots of it.
Oh, I know it's coming. Not rapidly though. 10-15 years is highly unlikely.

technodup

7,580 posts

130 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
quotequote all
I thought that about the internet when I was at school.

The tech is done. Governments seem to be broadly approving. Sort the insurance aspect and I can see this taking off quickly once the public are persuaded of the benefits.

I don't think 10-15 years is unrealistic, but it'll come down to cost. I can see this tech being the push that alternative fuels have been waiting for. Granted driverless electric cars isn't a PH answer but Google et al aren't interested in niche car bores.

Kawasicki

13,078 posts

235 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
quotequote all
technodup said:
I thought that about the internet when I was at school.

The tech is done. Governments seem to be broadly approving. Sort the insurance aspect and I can see this taking off quickly once the public are persuaded of the benefits.

I don't think 10-15 years is unrealistic, but it'll come down to cost. I can see this tech being the push that alternative fuels have been waiting for. Granted driverless electric cars isn't a PH answer but Google et al aren't interested in niche car bores.
"UK's vehicle stock is quite young, in 10 - 15 years most cars will be self driving"

Would you like to make a bet that in 12.5 years most cars on UK roads will be autonomous?

Kawasicki

13,078 posts

235 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
quotequote all
Also....

Can you point me to the hugely expensive self-driving production car that is on sale now?

This, like every other piece of tech, will first be introduced on expensive niche (PH worthy!)cars...then I estimate it will take between 5-15 years to be introduced on the volume models.

Self-driving is the key, I am not talking about a system you can just switch on to keep you in lane and a set distance from the traffic around you. That is current tech. I am talking about "self driving", you just jump in and it brings you to your destination, junctions/snow/fog/ice..all the rest that the engineers will be very aware exist.

98elise

26,498 posts

161 months

Thursday 31st July 2014
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defblade said:
2 problems here for me:

1) I can't help but remember Volvo's demonstration of their automatic braking system

2) My 13 year old car has a series of problems with its electrics, and it's not alone. There are plenty of tales, just on here even, of new cars with technology faults. Are these cars really going to be working properly (ie, safely) in 13 years time? 10 years? 8? 5? Will there be an expiry date on them, beyond which the manufacturers won't guarantee them working correctly?
Googles cars have covered 750k automated miles on public roads without incident. The cars have been involved in accidents, but only when they were being driven by a human (they have full normal controls).

If something major fails, the car will simply stop safely.

Self driving cars don't need to be perfect, they just need to be better then humans. ABS, ESP etc is not perfect, but its better than 99% of the population.