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EveOnlineTutorials's avatar
EveOnlineTutorials

Oh I hate these things

Self-driving cars are the dumbest idea ever, they are just accidents waiting to happen. Let's look at social media videos and pictures of these things.

  1. People having S** and posting it online on self-driving cars

  2. People drinking whilst at the wheel in these

  3. One video showed a guy taking it on and off to overtake people

  4. Another video showed a guy setting it to a 50-mile trip and promptly falling asleep

I think these things are a menace and are going to result in more accidents and more people doing more and more stupid things behind the wheel, driving is dangerous, we are essentially driving around 1-2-ton guided missiles that can kill people.

What we need is more laws and legislation on these, a guy in Canada, his self-driving car malfunctioned and killed a dog walker and he walked away, with no charge because it was a "machine error" - This is wrong, he was asleep, it shouldn't be a thing.

Sorry if this seems like a rant, but this is my submission, people lives should not be put in danger like this, they are a menace!

Damien Mason's avatar
Damien Mason

Too Utopian

As someone who never learned to drive, automated cars are a fantastic idea. The concept of being ferried around and not having that level of responsibility hanging over my head is wonderful. That said, I think it's a better concept than a reality.

Even if coordination was pinpoint perfect for an automated car, there's no way it can truly account for the unpredictability of human beings. Someone suddenly swerving in the car next to you or a child running out can cause horrific consequences. In those split seconds, we can debate the trolly problem and minimise damage better than a machine, in my opinion. We can allocate ethical value to the damage we'll cause in the actions we take, and I believe this is something binary code would suffer with.

Then, there are the malfunctions. Technology is far from infallible. Trust me, I work with the stuff, and not a day goes by where a problem doesn't crop up. Entrusting our lives to devices to not only do the right things in the right moments but to work flawlessly is a big risk. One bug, one short-circuit or breakdown, and the system can crumble.

The absolute ideal would be to replace every single car on the road with an automated model, which just won't happen. We're already struggling trying to make everything electric. But even in this utopia, there's still a lot of trust in something that could fail you. Both humans and machines are imperfect, but I'd sooner bank on the morality of our consciousness than something cold and unfeeling.

Horror and Cats's avatar
Horror and Cats
Damien Mason

As someone who won’t even trust a backup camera, I think you nailed it, friend. There are some things we can’t trust to technology and reacting to the unpredictability of fellow humans is one of them.

Alex Sinclair's avatar
Alex SinclairMod
Horror and Cats

I agree. I think putting it in the context of the trolley problem is a very interesting lens to see it through. It's a moral dilemma for a reason, but I'd still rather that decision was made by a human.

Paul's avatar
Paul

I am not a fan of self driving cars as they just add more problems then they solve. However there is one way I agree they could be a benefit and that is emergency ambulances.

In a usual medical team there are two people, one designated driver and one to treat/monitor in the back. If a patient goes in to cardiac arrest, they need to pull over to use the defibrillator and commence CPR.

If the vehicle is self driving, they may be able to save lives while still traveling to the hospital albeit at normal road speed (I wouldn't want to let it speed through traffic).

Only 7.8% of people that suffer a cardiac arrest actually survive and thats with hospital care. If ambulance teams did not need to stop then this might be higher.

Dave's avatar
Dave
Paul

Very interesting idea, I've never thought of that before.

Dave's avatar
Dave
Paul

I keep thinking about this post and so did a bit of googling. Other than articles asking people if they would ride in a selve driving ambulance, I don't see anything about the being trailed anywhere or any reports on the effectiveness and lives saved or anything, yet obviously we know there are loads of trials of cars and taxis in some countries with well maintained road networks.

Why isn't this already happening or am I just getting bad search results? I agree it sounds like such a good practical implementation of the tech with a massive impact.

Alex Sinclair's avatar
Alex SinclairMod
Dave

I was wondering the same thing. Did you think of this use yourself Paul? It's a really interesting use for self-driving cars.

Paul's avatar
Paul
Alex Sinclair

I did, its probably being researched already but having worked in abulances before it came to mind.

Paul's avatar
Paul
Dave

I have no idea. If I have the money id look in to getting it trialed.

Sturmer's avatar
Sturmer

I'm all in!

The current state of road transport is full of dangers and inefficiencies, largely due to human limitations like reaction, short attention spans, and limited communication.

Here is a great explanation specifically targeting traffic jam issues: The Simple Solution to Traffic - YouTube

Self-driving cars promise to revolutionize this by offering:

  1. Enhanced Communication: Autonomous vehicles can interact seamlessly with each other, ensuring more synchronized movement. The can broadcast their speed and intentions to all surrounding vehicles.

  2. Integration with Road Infrastructure: With the ability to sync not just with other vehicles but also with road sensors and data, we could eventually eliminate the need for road signs and traffic lights.

  3. Increased Speeds: The average car speed within a city is currently slower than a bicycle. Self-driving cars, with their superior awareness and local synchronization, could maintain consistent, higher speeds.

  4. Reduced Resource Waste: Optimal driving patterns of autonomous vehicles can lead to less fuel consumption and reduced emissions.

Interestingly, scientists suggest that to reap significant benefits, we don't need to convert every car to a self-driving model immediately. Having every 20th car as an autonomous vehicle would be a substantial start toward achieving these advantages.

Ultimately, self-driving cars could enable us to travel from point A to point B faster, safer, and at a lower cost. Plus, they offer the added benefit of freeing up travel time for rest, dreaming, or engaging in informative activities like reading JustAbout ;)

I'm reminded of a gif directed by Fernando Livschitz, which, while not specifically about self-driving cars, illustrates the kind of efficient, coordinated movement we might expect from 'caravan' technology in future vehicles

Lanah Tyra's avatar
Lanah Tyra

The idea itself is great and it would probably work in an ideal world. But sadly ours is far from ideal.

Unless every vehicle is self-driving and pedestrians and cyclists learn to behave responsibly, probably it would just cause more problems as there would be accidents where manual intervention could prevent it from happening, but with the amount of people thinking self-driving car means they can fall asleep or drink, there wouldn't be a backup to correct the machines to prevent accidents. Or you are traveling safely in your self-driving car and some road hero decides to take over endangering both you and themselves. Could the car pull into safety in time?

Maybe self driving trains or trams which are running on a fixed track could be a good way to ease into this? Of course accidents can happen there too but maybe less likely than on the roads where everyone can go wherever they please.

It does have benefits though, my partner constantly praises the cruise control in his company car, so in traffic jam the car just eases forward on a set low speed whenever possible and it allows for a less attention demanding and more environment friendly driving in that situation.

Would be good if we could make advantage of these benefits without causing more trouble for ourselves, but for that we need people not to be reckless.

avrona's avatar
avrona

I for one can't wait for them to be more mainstream. Are they going to be perfect or 100% safe? Of course not, but they just have to be about as safe if not a bit safer than human drivers for it to be worth the effort.

A large part of my own enthusiasm for it is my own anxiety for driving. I haven't even began learning to drive yet, nor am I planning to for a long time. When I discovered that in the UK I can learn to drive on automatics and not manuals, and have an auto-only license, that did definitely encourage me a bit to maybe start but that's just taking away one cumbersome element of many. I know many old gearheads keep things like a manual transmission so close to their hearts for a reason, but call me a lazy zoomer, I don't see the appeal in making driving more complex than it needs to be. I just need something to get me from point A to point B as easily as possible. Plus it's just much cooler to have the car drive you there yourself. So I for one very much welcome self-driving going as mainstream as possible.

My main issue comes down to the fact that many self-driving cars are just made to be a lot more boring-looking than even more basic sports cars. One of the biggest things for me when buying my future car will just be looks. And in an ideal world, I'd want something with the looks of a Nissan GTR or Z, but with the automations of a Tesla, but I know that's just something that will not happen for a long time, as it would probably be seen as rather poser-y to have such a sporty exterior and not even drive it yourself. As attitudes towards self-driving cars continue to change and the stigma disappears, and FSD becomes just a standard driving aid, like how a reversing camera or sensor is now.

Alex Sinclair's avatar
Alex SinclairMod
avrona

As someone who has failed his driving test more times than he's willing to admit, I can absolutely relate to this advantage.

Emilia's avatar
Emilia

People have always resisted development in technology, and I think backlash against self-driving cars is part of this communal thinking. I think, on the whole, they would be safer and more convenient than human-controlled vehicles, but people tend take any malfunction of a self-driving vehicle as more than one of human error.

Obviously, the debate gets philosophical, a computer can not make the informed choices we make in the same way, the removal of sentiment makes it almost impossible for a computer to make a wholly informed decision (such as wether to swerve or not) but you would hope a self-driving car has speedier reaction times, and therefore has no need to make such a decision. This all adds to the debate.

As of right now, self-driving vehicles are unaccessible to the majority, but with development I can see them being a safer way to transport, and as someone who gets extreme driving anxiety, I think they hold extreme potential.

Dave's avatar
Dave

Of the two choices I go with menace. If a car I buy one day comes with more auto control then I can't see myself ever switching the feature on and using it. I also only want manual, not an automatic.

When you are an experienced driver, you develop a kind of 6th sense to read the road, situation and other drivers around you. Very subtle little signals that mean you can predict what is likely to play out or what danger, safety issue or driver error might occur, then adapt to the situation in advance like leaving more space or to be prepared and ready.

For example you might notice a car just a little in front of you in the lane to your side, you know from experience of the spot, that drivers often choose the wrong lane here and you can see inside the car the driver is moving in their seat in such a way that experience tells you they are likely to cut you up in the next few seconds. If not at the lights then on the roundabout, so you are prepared for it happening or change your positioning in expectation. More often than not you read it correctly and that's exactly what plays out. Driverless cars will never be able to see and read such situations or have the local knowledge and experience to remove the danger before it even happens like we can.

Another example is the unwritten rules and customs of the road. You can't code for these as they go against the "correct" way something should be dealt with. For example flashing someone out at a junction where you know from experience locally, that's the only way they are going to be able to get out or they are stuck there forever, and it is the expected custom locally that is what you are expected to do at that spot.

Roads in the UK are generally in a bad state with worn away road markings, signs covered up with bushes and trees, pot holes and partially collapsed drain cover to avoid. The money will never be there for the infrastructure to be maintained to the standard needed for these to work well and be trusted.

Large amounts of country lanes with tractors coming round blind corners, with the road not big enough for two vehicles, passing points being the entrances to farm fields. Don't see how they would ever be able to handle that either. How far back was the last passing point I need to reverse to? Will the car even drive through that muddy boggy entrance or can the tractor move? O no! Now there is a car with a caravan on tow behind me as well! Good luck coding for that!

So yeah menace, they will never work properly and always need someone sitting there alert ready to spot it's errors or take over when it just gives up completely. At which point you may as well just drive yourself anyway and remove the risk!

JB
Josh B

Personally I don't have a problem with the idea of self driving cars, but I feel it needs to be an all or nothing approach.

They may be deemed safe to themselves and other drivers but what they don't account for is general human error and the plague of idiotic driving you see on roads.

Unless you completely remove humans from the equation I don't see how it can truly be considered safe.

The other thing that currently is a bit counter intuitive is that there always has to be someone in the driver's seat...

Kane Carnifex's avatar
Kane Carnifex

Neither…

It's kind of a step in an evolution process. You bring stuff forward either if it has military usage or the first world consumer is wanting it.

And self driving Cars are bad example for this functionality.

Trains, easy level are Cargo Trains with their own track. Advanced is the automated Subway system from France for example And Expert would be if you combine everything in a big city, sprankle some utopia salt over it. And Voila there you have a fuel free green city which all the logistic is underneath in the subway.

Trucks are kind of a step up but if you have a working long range train system you could use these to transport them to the outer village region. From there it gets picked up by humans because these old school medieval villages can have some nasty curves.

But back to the Cars, they are for individual driving.

As already mentioned in other comment above if everybody would have one with a system talking to each other and some of this special salt there maybe would be less accidents.

But in the end is the stand time of each car. If you can just book cars from a fleet anytime for a good price and you wouldn't need a own car then that is the time which we can go full automatic.

If you want to drive a racing car, there will be a special playground for it.

Just not on the Autobahn.

FUN INC's avatar
FUN INC

Self driving cars... a menacing marvel ..... ie. I'm split!

I love the idea / concept, however it terrifies me. Cars are dangerous - we sometimes forget that its basically a projectile hurtling often at 70mph or more dependent on localised speed limits. Even 1/10th of that could theoretically kill someone. It worries me.

That said - when i think back to how many times have I been driving back late at night from soemwhere and wished that i was at home already. With self-driving cars, i could just nestle up snooze and get home automatically - sounds like bliss!

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