Self drive cars

[culzean]

Self driving autonomous cars seem to be in the news every day,  both bad and good news like the latest one where a car didn't see a lorry and another Tesla owner telling how his car drove forward and hit the vehicle in front when it was parked up and he was not even in the car.

This is a recent article showing the massive challenges still needing to be sorted,  not least that anything connected to internet especially if using wireless or phone signals is still an easy target for hackers,  and that bad weather can play havoc with the cars sensors (imagine snow or ice or even dust or mud on sensors).  This technology raises many questions,  can an unqualified driver be in charge of the car,  just as someone can skip gear-changing by qualifying in an automatic gearbox car,  could someone in future qualify as a 'driver - lite' by taking a reduced test (would a test even be required) in a autonomous car ?   If the vehicle crashed and Google or whoever was responsible would they be prosecuted by police,  or the would the owner still be responsible.  Could a drunken person be in charge of the car because technically they are not driving it. Would lazy moms send children to school in a car on their own ? Could cars be allowed to travel empty to a destination ?

http://www.vox.com/2016/4/21/11447838/self-driving-cars-challenges-obstacles

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/01/truck-driver-involved-with-fatal-tesla-accident-says-driver-was-watching-a-movie.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3613338/A-Tesla-Model-S-autopilot-cruise-control-activated-crashes-van-damaging-entire-end-car.html

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/news/a29133/tesla-self-driving-crash-summon-autonomous/

this last guy 'summoned' his car remotely - how stupid is it to have a car start up and move out of a parking spot without a driver at the wheel ??  Funny to have all those fancy cameras and sensors and not have a device to make sure someone is sitting in drivers seat before the car moves DOOOOOOOHHHHH

[Beaver]

Self driving cars are a solution to a problem that didn't need solving.

The chap in the USA who went under a truck might have been watching a Harry Potter film on a DVD player - unconfirmed report.   If correct, it proves the adage "You can't cure Stupid".

[guest6230]

If they're self drive then I'm guessing they don't need drivers? You could set it off to pick up the kids from school or fetch a takeaway!

[guest334]

I use a self drive vehicle most days, its called a bus.

[culzean]

I use a self drive vehicle most days, its called a bus.

Thought that was classed as a chauffeur driven vehicle.

[culzean]

http://observer.com/2016/02/why-driverless-cars-will-screech-to-a-halt/

Looks like Autonomous cars are being pushed forward too fast - and it will be regulators who set the pace - its a bit like the wild west or the goldrush, with tech companies pushing ahead in a gung-ho fashion and will say sorry later when their cars start to kill people.  Driverless cars may well appear in Europe before USA because it is a well known fact that Legislators are in the pockets of European motor industry.

My favourite quote from the article was...............

Think about it: Every driver makes hundreds of daily driving decisions that, strictly speaking, break driving laws (for example, crossing the yellow line (this is USA) to pull around a double-parked vehicle). It all works out fine because of something called “human judgment.” But what company is going to program its driverless cars to break the law? And what regulators will approve that product, knowing that it has been programmed to break the law?