Driverless legal cars

[pflaming]

Calif just passed a law making driverless cars legal. Only the legal part is new, we've had 'driverless' cars for a long time. Question: When would one use that feature or does "driverless' mean "remote"? It might be a nice feature when intoxicated or too infirm to drive. Just pondering.

[Bobacuda]

I am convinced that 90% of the vehicles I face on the road daily are "driverless," or at least their drivers are clueless...

I'll bet car bombers will really like driverless cars...

[TodFitch]

I am convinced that 90% of the vehicles I face on the road daily are "driverless," or at least their drivers are clueless...

I'll bet car bombers will really like driverless cars...

Clueless drivers indeed.

Yesterday I was driving 28 on a residential street posted at 25. Yeah, I was speeding. But I wasn't speeding enough for the sedan behind me as they felt obliged to tail gate. We come up on a cross walk with someone in it. So I stop. The "driver" behind veers to the right into the bicycle lane and roars on by the pedestrian. They are stopped at the next traffic signal when I pull up behind, so they didn't get very far ahead for all their effort. but they might not have noticed as they were talking on their non-hands free cell phone (illegal here).

I am leery of the concept of computer driven cars, but I guess if it means that people like the one I encountered yesterday don't actually control the car it might be a good thing. On the other hand it might also be the death knell of driving antique cars. If the computer driven vehicles prove safer than human driven ones then I can see where in 20 or 30 years all cars would be required to have computer control to be driven on public highways. Could be more of a problem for the hobby than finding an appropriate liquid hydrocarbon fuel...

Hadn't thought about that car bombers part. Scary prospect.

[Tom Skinner]

Driverless Cars are all the Bozo's on the phone and texting, tweeting, drivers out there now. I have to drive my antique car on Saturday mornings real early just to avoid the drunks, drug adicts, and otherwise brain dead drivers out there now. They are legion now, a hord of indifferent texting zombies operating automobiles on our roads. I think I'll buy a Hummer and plow thier asses into a ditch somewhere.

[Don Coatney]

Guess I am clueless on exactly what a driverless car is? Is it on a rail such as a commuter train?

I am well aware of clueless drivers as my driving habits are much the same as how Tod drives and his description of clueless drivers I see daily. I was sitting in my living room watching TV in my residential neighborhood with an unposted 25 MPH speed limit. I observed a car speed past my house doing at least 50 MPH. This clueless driver must have arrived at his destination a full 10-20 seconds ahead of schedule as my street is only about a half mile long. Glad this driver did not encounter any of the many dog walkers, children on bicycles, retirees driving golf carts, joggers, etc. that I normally see on my street.

[greg g]

Nope cameras distance sensors radar, abs, cruise control etc. Hope is not Microsoft based.....hate to need to reboot at 65.

[ggdad1951]

or lock up and require the removal of the battery!

[TodFitch]

Guess I am clueless on exactly what a driverless car is? Is it on a rail such as a commuter train?

Nope cameras distance sensors radar, abs, cruise control etc. Hope is not Microsoft based.....hate to need to reboot at 65.

Yes. Don, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car

[Dave72dt]

Probably increase the bar business. The drunk can crawl in and tell the car to take him home. Or, you can sleep, eat or read the newspaper, text, or whatever, on the way to work. Of course, none of the gizmos will prevent a non-driverless car from taking it out and I can only imagine the expense of a body shop repairing and aligning all the pieces to make it work correctly once again.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Dave72dt

[pflaming]

OR: rent it out, send it to the address, pickup the passenger, he enters his distination, pays the price and the car takes him there.

[Young Ed]

Way to go Paul you just put every taxi cab driver in the unemployment line

[pflaming]

Yes, but very few US citizens!!!

[Don Coatney]

Yes. Don, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car

Up until now I liked google. I may be once again clueless but I cant see the clueless masses ever having the coinage to actually buy (or rent) this technology for daily transportation unless you are the night assistant manager at the cornor gaserup/and eaterup making the big bucks. But the way things are going that night assistant boss job may put you in the next tax bracket$$$ I am clueless on exactly how many night assistant boss jobs will be available. Not sure what the night assistant to the assistant will pay nor what educational level will be required. Masters in assist to assistance? Bet Phoenix already offers this degree:rolleyes:

[TodFitch]

Up until now I liked google. I may be once again clueless but I cant see the clueless masses ever having the coinage to actually buy (or rent) this technology for daily transportation ...

The former head of GM apparently thinks all cars will driverless in 20 years:

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/cars-driverless-20-years-bob-lutz-133826028.html

Choices:

1. It will be inexpensive.

2. Or the trend of the last 30 years for worker bee wages falling behind inflation will need to change with some of the increase in GDP going to people in the 99%.

5. Or nobody will be able to afford a new car.

4. Or Bob Lutz doesn't know what he is talking about.

6. ???

[ggdad1951]

Up until now I liked google. I may be once again clueless but I cant see the clueless masses ever having the coinage to actually buy (or rent) this technology for daily transportation unless you are the night assistant manager at the cornor gaserup/and eaterup making the big bucks. But the way things are going that night assistant boss job may put you in the next tax bracket$$$ I am clueless on exactly how many night assistant boss jobs will be available. Not sure what the night assistant to the assistant will pay nor what educational level will be required. Masters in assist to assistance? Bet Phoenix already offers this degree:rolleyes:

don't worry, it wil be the next "right" of everyone, legal or not, to have a automatic car at their disposal.....gov't is giving everything else away, why not transportation?

[HanksB3B]

I'm starting a petition to gather enough votes so that when Governor Brown's term is over we can elect him for Chief Crash Dummy for Driverless Cars. Any one with me http://www.Jerry4Dummy.com.

Hank

P.S. No one except Don Coatney was with me on my remodel plans for Pauls Garage, but maybe I can get support on this.

Edited September 27, 2012 by HanksB3B

[TodFitch]

....gov't is giving everything else away, why not transportation?

Been doing that a long, long time ago in this country. Starting with the National Pike, changing to building railroads using direct payments, loan guarantees and land give aways. Still happening with government money supporting air transport and highways. Almost everything to do with every type of transportation has some government money behind it somewhere.

Reading period literature about the state of farm to market "roads" before the national government got involved indicates that private enterprise wasn't very successful in providing transportation. Commercial success only for a few turnpikes between major cities and toll bridges and ferries. And many of them required official monopoly status from the appropriate government bodies to make them viable.