Driverless cars

[NE2]

Shit. Is it bad if I agree with a strawman?

[cpzilliacus]

Also, you're completely ignoring the safety aspect of automated cars which is IMO one of its most compelling arguments.

Fact: With the reduced headways being touted as part of the automatic car programs, all it takes is one deer in the road to initiate massive calamity.

Fact: Deer in the road are bad - moose in the road are much worse.

[Janko Dialnice]

Fact: With the reduced headways being touted as part of the automatic car programs, all it takes is one deer in the road to initiate massive calamity.

Fact: Deer in the road are bad - moose in the road are much worse.

While animals in the road can cause serious problems with an automated car, I am curious as to what one would do with suddenly-deteriorating road or weather conditions (debris, snow, minor flooding, etc).

[1995hoo]

I don't understand how a driverless car will operate the clutch and move the gearshift.

[agentsteel53]

I don't understand how a driverless car will operate the clutch and move the gearshift.

there wouldn't be literally a clutch and a gearshift, in the sense of two controls designed for human ergonomics. 

an automatic transmission already moves the equivalent of a clutch and a gearshift.  it isn't too difficult to take that one step further and put a controller on top of it.  it's been done... well before Google self-driving cars, even.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

I don't understand how a driverless car will operate the clutch and move the gearshift.

The same way the VW "DSG" gearbox does, same way the "automatic" transmissions in 18 wheelers do.  They are automated manual transmissions.

[1995hoo]

I was being snarky. I know it's another ploy to try to phase out the proper manual gearbox. All the more reason not to want a driverless car.

[NE2]

They went wrong when they replaced the crank with a starter.

[1995hoo]

They went wrong when they replaced the crank with a starter.

Heh. I read somewhere that the introduction of the electric starter opened the road to a new breed of driver–women. Some might argue that seriously underscores your point.

[agentsteel53]

Heh. I read somewhere that the introduction of the electric starter opened the road to a new breed of driver–women. Some might argue that seriously underscores your point.

honestly, in all my experience driving, I've never seen a gender disparity in moronic behavior.  so I'm not sure where the stereotype comes from.

[Alps]

Heh. I read somewhere that the introduction of the electric starter opened the road to a new breed of driver–women. Some might argue that seriously underscores your point.

honestly, in all my experience driving, I've never seen a gender disparity in moronic behavior.  so I'm not sure where the stereotype comes from.

90% of women drive more feminine than 90% of men. another fact: African American drivers are more likely to be black than Chinese drivers.

[hotdogPi]

Not sure if this is on topic, but:

Literally driverless cars. There is no driver in the car.
I have seen them in the movie Cars, but not in real life.

[Molandfreak]

Not sure if this is on topic, but:

Literally driverless cars. There is no driver in the car.
I have seen them in the movie Cars, but not in real life.

That's what driverless cars are; they're allowed (on a testing basis currently) in California, Nevada, Florida, and D.C.

[corco]

Not sure if this is on topic, but:

Literally driverless cars. There is no driver in the car.
I have seen them in the movie Cars, but not in real life.

That's what driverless cars are; they're allowed (on a testing basis currently) in California, Nevada, Florida, and D.C.

Yeah but somebody still has to be behind the wheel, they just aren't actively maneuvering the car.

[Takumi]

Heh. I read somewhere that the introduction of the electric starter opened the road to a new breed of driver–women. Some might argue that seriously underscores your point.

honestly, in all my experience driving, I've never seen a gender disparity in moronic behavior.  so I'm not sure where the stereotype comes from.

I've seen it. In my experience, it's a totally valid stereotype.

[1995hoo]

Heh. I read somewhere that the introduction of the electric starter opened the road to a new breed of driver–women. Some might argue that seriously underscores your point.

honestly, in all my experience driving, I've never seen a gender disparity in moronic behavior.  so I'm not sure where the stereotype comes from.

Notice I was very careful in my wording: "Some might argue ...." That is, I'm not necessarily arguing it myself. 

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

Heh. I read somewhere that the introduction of the electric starter opened the road to a new breed of driver—women. Some might argue that seriously underscores your point.

honestly, in all my experience driving, I've never seen a gender disparity in moronic behavior.  so I'm not sure where the stereotype comes from.

I've seen it. In my experience, it's a totally valid stereotype.

I promise I have more time behind the wheel than probably anyone else here, and I see no basis for the stereotype.

[Scott5114]

"Women are inferior drivers" is a pretty sexist statement to make if you don't have any data to back it up other than personal anecdotes (which of course are quite subject to confirmation bias if you're looking for 'evidence' for a preconceived notion that women are worse drivers).

[1995hoo]

"Women are inferior drivers" is a pretty sexist statement to make if you don't have any data to back it up other than personal anecdotes (which of course are quite subject to confirmation bias if you're looking for 'evidence' for a preconceived notion that women are worse drivers).

Did anyone make that statement?

[Scott5114]

"Women are inferior drivers" is a pretty sexist statement to make if you don't have any data to back it up other than personal anecdotes (which of course are quite subject to confirmation bias if you're looking for 'evidence' for a preconceived notion that women are worse drivers).

Did anyone make that statement?

Takumi said "It's a valid stereotype", the stereotype being referenced being that of women being inferior drivers. So it while it wasn't worded that way, that was the message that was to be taken from it, yes.

[Ned Weasel]

I don't want my future stuck in traffic just to appease the ever decreasing amount of people who fetishize driving a stupid car.

It's that kind of fucking attitude, right there.  Marginalization due to a gross lack of understanding of anyone's preferences other than his own.

I have a better idea to increase efficiency and safety, while still being able to appease people like me: massive expansion of public transit in all its forms, followed by a massive increase in the skill and competency requirements for getting a basic driver's license.  That gets most of the mindless masses (hey, look, I can play the selfish marginalization game too!!) out of the cars they hate driving so much and into vastly safer and more efficient means of transport to and from work, which will in turn reduce traffic counts and congestion, and with the increase in the competency and skill levels of those still licensed, the roads will be safer and faster, and myself and like-minded people will still get to actually drive our cars.

Public transit isn't necessarily more efficient.  It's contextual; it depends on how many people are using it, and that depends on where people's origins and destinations are relative to a given transit system.

From what I've last heard, the current proposals for a system of "smart highways" and "driverless" cars involve manual car operation on surface streets and "driverless" mode kicking in when a car gets on a freeway.  Frankly, I'm not thrilled about this idea any more than you are, because freeways are often the most fun roads to drive on (and most of the intricate signage with elaborate patterns of arrows would be made irrelevant by driverlessness).  Hypothetically, we could see a system of "driverless" express lanes and driver-operated "local" lanes, or a system of "driverless" trunk freeways and driver-operated feeder freeways, or both.

I was discussing this with a friend a few years ago, and he compared my love for driving cars to the way some people preferred to get around by riding horses.  I tend to believe that you can't stop something from being made obsolete.

[bugo]

Public transit is not a one size fits all solution for every city's traffic problems.  In sprawled out midwestern cities, it would cost trillions of dollars to put in effective light rail systems.  It might work for NYC, but it won't work for KC.

[vdeane]

An episode of Doctor Who reminded me of this thread: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28aDAXC9EoE