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Ed Self-Driving Cars: Pros, Cons, and Predictions

Evaluate Self-Driving Cars on a scale of 1-5 (1 = Terrible, 3 = Meh, 5 = Great)

  • 1

    Votes: 10 6.6%

  • 2

    Votes: 11 7.2%

  • 3

    Votes: 24 15.8%

  • 4

    Votes: 28 18.4%

  • 5

    Votes: 79 52.0%
  • Total voters
    152
  • Poll closed .
Around here, flashing your lights means "there are cops up the road".

You can also flash your lights to indicate to a large truck that is passing you that there is now space to merge back into your lane. They will flick their blinkers to acknowledge.
 
Roger Ramjets said:
That's something we don't have to worry about in New Zealand. I don't run over anything, and I would expect a self driving car to do the same unless you told it to.
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Which would be fine unless you live where I do, where after a wind or ice storm (which is frequent) the road is littered with sticks and twigs, and a car that refuses to run over anything would end up stopping every few feet and demanding instructions. I suppose eventually we might get an self driving car so sophisticated and well taught that it would be able to make the distinction, and add to it the judgment of relative risks, and while at it to decide based on various criteria whether it's snake season or not. In the meantime, I think I'll skip it.
 
arthwollipot said:
Around here, flashing your lights means "there are cops up the road".

You can also flash your lights to indicate to a large truck that is passing you that there is now space to merge back into your lane. They will flick their blinkers to acknowledge.
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That too, although I gather it's actually illegal. (Interestingly, Google maps via Android Auto has recently added a feature that allows you to note the presence of cops on the road.)

Flashing lights can mean all sorts of things and it's up to a driver seeing them to figure out what. It takes a surprisingly long time for the message "it is dark but your lights are not on" to be understood, and as far as I can tell, "it is perfectly clear but your rear fog light is on" is never decoded.

I don't know how many people flashed me about my trailing undertray before the garage pointed it out. It was a lot.
 
Rolfe said:
That too, although I gather it's actually illegal. (Interestingly, Google maps via Android Auto has recently added a feature that allows you to note the presence of cops on the road.)

Flashing lights can mean all sorts of things and it's up to a driver seeing them to figure out what. It takes a surprisingly long time for the message "it is dark but your lights are not on" to be understood, and as far as I can tell, "it is perfectly clear but your rear fog light is on" is never decoded.

I don't know how many people flashed me about my trailing undertray before the garage pointed it out. It was a lot.
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If I'm understanding AI correctly, it can learn to figure it out he same way a human does.

Lots of data input and pattern recognition.
 
Sometimes I see a note that a particular hazard has been reported by Waze drivers, so I think they've joined forces.
 
Gord_in_Toronto said:
If I'm understanding AI correctly, it can learn to figure it out he same way a human does.

Lots of data input and pattern recognition.
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In which case the AI would be in breach of the Highway Code, some aspects of which have force of law. A quick google comes up with:
"Yes, it is illegal to flash your headlights in the UK for other than to let other drivers know you are there"
 
GlennB said:
In which case the AI would be in breach of the Highway Code, some aspects of which have force of law. A quick google comes up with:
"Yes, it is illegal to flash your headlights in the UK for other than to let other drivers know you are there"
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Well ackshually....

In fact the relevant Highway Code rule is

Rule 110​

Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users.

Rule 111​

Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed. Use your own judgement and proceed carefully.
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www.gov.uk

The Highway Code - General rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders (103 to 158) - Guidance - GOV.UK

Signals, stopping procedures, lighting, control of the vehicle, speed limits, stopping distances, lines and lane markings and multi-lane carriageways, smoking, mobile phones and sat nav.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk

"Must" or "Must not" is not used so there is no specific offence wrt headlight flashing. However, and this is a point about the Highway Code that is often misunderstood, just because there is no specific offence related to the flashing of headlights does not mean you could not be charged with careless or inconsiderate driving for doing it.
 
GlennB said:
The UK Highway Code states that drivers should only flash their headlights to let other road users know they are there.
Down my road it means "I am giving way", and if it didn't then the result would be chaos. People give way here when they judge that it's the efficient way to deal with cars approaching each other and insufficient space to pass in the presence of multiple parked cars. Even if they're somewhat wrong then no harm is done, as traffic keeps flowing.
A self-driving car, programmed to obey the Highway Code, would be a nightmare in these parts.
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Would it ever be able to understand the idea of flashing the hazard lights for one or two cycles as thanks for allowing you to cut in?
 
Darat said:
I agree, but they are going to kill and injure people, real world conditions are going to make that a certainty. To use an old adage - I think we are 80% there, but that final 20% is going to be the killer, literally in some cases.
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They not only are, they have.

Human drivers kill far more. 40 to 45 thousand in the US every year. I personally do not have enough information to say whether we are 40% or 99% there. My guess is you don't know either.
 
arthwollipot said:
Around here, flashing your lights means "there are cops up the road".

You can also flash your lights to indicate to a large truck that is passing you that there is now space to merge back into your lane. They will flick their blinkers to acknowledge.
Click to expand...
Generally one flash of the high beams is "turn yours of, you're blinding me", two is "you come on, I'll stall here where I'm pulled in" and three is "peelers /speed van are running a trap, low down". Though on the last one you'll get people flashing you from miles away and the van pointed the wrong direction
 
Gulliver Foyle said:
A lot different, that. Elevators are a closed loop.
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Different, but the same.

I don't know when self driving vehicles will be able to be fully autonomous. But I'm 100 percent positive that they will be able to be at some time. I'm also confident that people are skeptical and will continue to be. That is, until they aren't.

I've driven ...actually been driven for thousands of miles 99% by a self driving vehicle. It is totally strange at first. And eventually it becomes boring. And just like the elevator without an operator, you accept it as routine.
 
acbytesla said:
They not only are, they have.

Human drivers kill far more. 40 to 45 thousand in the US every year.
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And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Medically consulted injuries in motor-vehicle incidents totaled 5.2 million in 2022, and total motor-vehicle injury costs were estimated at $481.2 billion. Costs include wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, administrative expenses, motor-vehicle property damage, and employer costs.
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acbytesla said:
I personally do not have enough information to say whether we are 40% or 99% there. My guess is you don't know either.
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The autonomous vehicles in use today are already much safer than human drivers, so technically we are past 100%. The biggest hurdle now is public acceptance.

Recently a health insurance CEO was murdered, and many argued this was a good thing because by denying coverage the company was killing far more. I look forward to those people advocating the same for anyone spreading FUD about this lifesaving vehicle technology.
 
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