Self drive cars

Driving and riding in Hua Hin and Thailand, all topics on cars, pickups, bikes, boats, licenses, roads, and motoring in general.

Would you buy a self drive car once the technology is perfected?

Yes
6
32%
No
7
37%
Only if I had to commute on expressways and in an urban environment everyday
6
32%
 
Total votes: 19

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PeteC
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Self drive cars

Post by PeteC »

I wonder if these corporate moguls and venture capital people have ever done a poll, or at least asked if people want something like this? One of the biggest joys in life for me has been driving on a country road on a clear day leaving all my troubles behind. The best remedy for stress and a taste of freedom seldom found doing other things in a busy life. Now, they want to take that all away or make traditional cars a history lesson for my grandkids?! :guns:

You watch. In a decade or so it will be something jammed down people's throats like it or not :roll:

I really want to see how it works in a city like Rome, Bangkok, Paris etc., or when some event disables the GPS network which will happen sooner or later.

Anyway, what do you think? Pete :cheers:
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RCer
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by RCer »

They would only be useful in an urban environment where sitting in stalled traffic is the usual issue.

Long distance and countryside touring would not be the same if I couldn't do the driving.
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STEVE G
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by STEVE G »

I would certainly have one for commuting if they were so good that you could travel to work eating breakfast and reading the paper or whatever instead of wasting your life driving. I think there is large market for them for that kind of thing. I was reading an article about the future of them recently and it made the point that only a tiny percentage of all the cars sold are on the road at any time, theoretically you could go to a system where you summon a driverless car when you need one, rather than actually owning one and pay by the hour.
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Re: Self drive cars

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STEVE G
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by STEVE G »

Another point is that in the UK, insurance for young drivers is getting so high that many of them aren't bothering to drive anymore, if these things were good enough, presumably you could get much lower premiums by not driving yourself, then the youngsters could carry on staring at their phones which is the only thing that interests them anyway!
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by Dannie Boy »

STEVE G wrote:Another point is that in the UK, insurance for young drivers is getting so high that many of them aren't bothering to drive anymore, if these things were good enough, presumably you could get much lower premiums by not driving yourself, then the youngsters could carry on staring at their phones which is the only thing that interests them anyway!
Or they simply don't bother with insurance, but drive anyway, still using their phones of course!! I wonder how the law will pan out regarding being drunk in charge of a self-drive car?
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by STEVE G »

Dannie Boy wrote: I wonder how the law will pan out regarding being drunk in charge of a self-drive car?
They could make a special version for drinkers with no controls except for a big red button with 'home' on it to rest your forehead on!
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by hhfarang »

There needs to be a clarified choice. I would buy one but if and only if it worked like cruise control in that I could use it when I wanted to and disable it to drive it myself when I wanted to.
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by Takiap »

prcscct wrote:You watch. In a decade or so it will be something jammed down people's throats like it or not :roll:

I agree with you. I think it will be a gradual process, but at some point we will reach a stage where we don't get to decide yes or no. The authorities could and probably will just go ahead and ban traditional vehicles in certain areas; on certain roads or routes and etc, and then it will most likely progress from there.

There are many ways to convince people to make the change to driverless cars, even before any laws are created.


Let's just hope that the design of these new driverless cars improves because all the ones currently being tested look absolutely ridiculous.



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Re: Self drive cars

Post by Bluesky »

"Use by" date On the horizon for some Uber drivers.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... vers-think
Julia Carrie Wong in San Francisco

'We're just rentals': Uber drivers ask where they fit in a self-driving future

“Wo-o-o-o-w,” Cynthia Ingram said. “We all knew it was coming. I just didn’t expect it this soon.”

Ingram, a 60-year-old Uber driver in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had just learned that Uber would be deploying autonomous cars to accept fares in her city within weeks. The announcement on Thursday morning sent shockwaves through the community of about 4,000 drivers that serve Pennsylvania’s second largest city.
Uber riders to be able to hail self-driving cars for first time.
Uber has not specified how many autonomous vehicles it plans to roll out in Pittsburgh, but state law requires a licensed driver to be seated behind the wheel of any vehicle, autonomous or not. So the cars will still have a human driver in the front seat – for now. )

The company did not respond to queries about who those non-driving drivers will be or whether they will undergo special training.

But for Ingram, autonomous Ubers are an unwelcome threat to her livelihood.

“I kind of figured it would be a couple more years down the line before it was really implemented and I’ll be retired by then,” she said.

A paralegal with 30 years experience, Ingram began driving for Uber and Lyft in June 2015 when she lost her job. She said that she loves driving for Uber, though she has struggled to make ends meet.

Rob Judge, 41, was also concerned with the announcement.

“It feels like we’re just rentals. We’re kind of like placeholders until the technology comes out.”

A longtime customer service representative, Judge began driving for Uber three months ago to make money while he looks for other work.

“For me personally, this isn’t a long term stop,” he added. “But for a lot of other people that I’ve connected with, this is their only means

Judge also questioned whether passengers would miss the opportunity to meet and talk with their drivers.

“It has the potential for that human interaction to go away, and that’s the best part of the whole experience,” he said.

Uber has never made a secret of its ambitions for a driverless future, and in Pittsburgh, where it operates a self-driving research lab, the city has grown accustomed to the sight of its autonomous vehicles on the streets.

“Pittsburgh has been a home for autonomous vehicles and research for decades,” said Timothy McNulty, communications director for mayor William Peduto. “We’re pretty used to self-driving cars here, and we’re happy that Uber is taking this next step.”

Not all drivers shared his joy. In private Facebook groups where drivers for Uber and Lyft congregate, some drivers joked about sabotaging their rivals.

“I say we all go out and get drunk and puke in the driverless cars ... next passenger will be pleasantly surprised,” wrote one driver.

“Get on a bridge and wait for one to pass under then dump dark paint on the roof,” another wrote.

Judge did not propose any such sabotage, but he admitted, “I think a lot of us are hoping that there are some hiccups that can slow this thing down.”

“Pittsburgh is really the center of the innovation economy on the east coast,” said Alex Wallach Hanson, field director for Pittsburgh United, a coalition of labor, community, and environmental groups that advocates for working class families. “That’s a good thing for our city, but we also need to take a leadership role in making sure that it benefits everyone in our economy.”

In addition to Uber, Pittsburgh has attracted outposts from Google and Facebook, and is home to a growing tech start-up scene.

“If part of innovation technology is replacing drivers with technology, we need to look at policy solutions that we can put in place like a universal basic income, to make sure that everyone in our community has a family-sustaining life,” Wallach Hanson added.

Eric Lightfoot, a full-time Uber and Lyft driver, said that he was excited for the driverless future.

“In America, we can’t all fricking own cars anymore. That has got to end,” he said. “If this is one of those avenues then that’s what it is. It doesn’t bother me at all.”

Lightfoot said that he believed it would take another 20 years for autonomous cars to replace drivers, but even if he is wrong, he welcomes the change.

“I’ve always dealt with life as it comes,” he said. “If it happens tomorrow and I’m out of work, I’ll find a new job. I’ll find my way.”

Still, you won’t catch him in a driverless car tomorrow.

“I’ll let all the guinea pigs figure that shit out before I get in one,” he said.

Ingram shared Lightfoot’s personal aversion to autonomous cars, saying she would “absolutely not” accept a ride from one of the new driverless Uber's

“I want somebody in control of that vehicle other than a computer,” she said.

Second article
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ ... iving-cars
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by Homer »

prcscct wrote:You watch. In a decade or so it will be something jammed down people's throats like it or not :roll:
Or first become a campaign issue.
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by Homer »

Takiap wrote:Let's just hope that the design of these new driverless cars improves because all the ones currently being tested look absolutely ridiculous.
The ones we've seen up til now look like they're designed like a Happy Meal toy to attract attention. The market will change that.

Aren't most or all of them electric? Without the large masses of motor, transmission, differential and fuel tank, designers of driverless electric cars are free to create better aerodynamics, more interior room for size of car, change the shape of the front crumple zone, etc., all to meet consumer wants, such as cost, efficiency, power, range, and aesthetics.
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by Homer »

Autopilot from the movie Airplane!
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by VincentD »

I'm with Pete. I enjoy driving out in the country and like the off-road, off the beaten track trails. They already have a version of transport you don't have to drive - it's called the bus!
Point is, even if cars are driverless, you are still not reducing the amount of vehicles on the road. With a bus you are. Want a bit more autonomy? Grab a cab.
Too much technology built into stuff that people can't repair themselves is a future recipe for disaster..
Did I mention I'm also a bit of a (retired) petrol-head?
My two baht worth..
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PeteC
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Re: Self drive cars

Post by PeteC »

Just wait! Ford announced this week that in 2021 they're introducing a car without a steering wheel! :roll: I'll ask once again......WHO THE HELL BLOODY WANTS THINGS LIKE THAT! :banghead: :cuss: :guns: Pete :cheers:
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