Uber Self-Driving Vehicle Involved in Arizona Crash

[Cripplecreek]

Wouldn't that eliminate about half the current drivers?

At least.

The days of professionalism behind the wheel are long gone. When I took driver's training in about 1981, us rural kids all had a few years experience behind the wheel already. We learned to drive in rear wheel drive cars built in the 60s and 70s without antilock brakes, traction control, steering or parking assist.

My primary trainer vehicle was a 72 F150 with a 3 speed on the column. At 14 years old I was taking it 5 miles down the road to the farm and back into the woods for firewood and it wasn't at all uncommon.

[thackney]

When I took driver's training in about 1981, us rural kids all had a few years experience behind the wheel already. We learned to drive in rear wheel drive cars built in the 60s and 70s without antilock brakes, traction control, steering or parking assist.

I think mine was the same year.  Which was ~4 years after I started driving dad's truck on the road.  Which was about 4 years after I started driving motorcycles and tractors.

[goatprairie]

So far, most studies show that self-driving cars are safer by about double.  For example:

http://www.vtti.vt.edu/featured/?p=422

Assuming half of all accidents are caused by the other guy, it means that self-driving cars are rarely at fault.  By using a self-driving vehicle, you reduce your odds of dying in a car accident in a year from one in 9K to one in 18K or thereabouts.

I've never seen stats revealing the chances of traffic accidents by age, sex, level of education, etc.  I know the very young and the very old are probably the least safe drivers.  But what are the chances of being in a serious auto accident when you're a middle-aged adult compared to  a teen? It seems many of the traffic fatalities in my area usually involve young drivers on the road late at night or early morning and not wearing seatbelts.
 For instance, I can't count the number of times in the last forty years I've read reports of traffic fatalities where an occupant was ejected from the car. I know young drivers are less likely to wear seatbelts than older drivers. Wearing your seatbelt doesn't guarantee you'll survive a  crash,  but getting ejected seems to increase the chances of a fatality.

[thackney]

what are the chances of being in a serious auto accident when you're a middle-aged adult compared to  a teen?

https://www.aaafoundation.org/sites/default/files/2012OlderDriverRisk.pdf

[Suppressed]

At least.

The days of professionalism behind the wheel are long gone.

AAA's driver education textbook used to be called Sportsmanlike Driving, for decades.  Now they use How to Drive.

You can see how the emphasis has changed.

I have editions going back to the 1st. They used to have much more info. Now they are dumbed down.

[Cripplecreek]

AAA's driver education textbook used to be called Sportsmanlike Driving, for decades.  Now they use How to Drive.

You can see how the emphasis has changed.

I have editions going back to the 1st. They used to have much more info. Now they are dumbed down.

A lot of kids these days don't even want to drive. Its like my nephew said before he finally got his driver's license at 25 years old. Cars are too expensive, upkeep is too expensive, gas is too expensive, insurance is too expensive.

I couldn't wait to get my driver's license and my parents were happy to have a willing errand runner.

[Frank Cannon]

Interesting. No matter who is behind the wheel of a Volvo, a person or a computer, they are still the worse drivers on the road.

[Hondo69]

Just because you can build a driverless car doesn't mean you should.

[DB]

Just because you can build a driverless car doesn't mean you should.

Lawyers will likely put the brakes on this for a while. Somebody has to be held responsible and it won't be AI.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Lawyers will likely put the brakes on this for a while. Somebody has to be held responsible and it won't be AI.

Yep. People actually think the public will allow driveless semi's. That will be sued out of existence the first accident that happens. Not to mention that truck drivers are a major source of employment for our country.

[Hondo69]

We need a Nookie Law.

If you're on a hot date and happen to be in the back of a Wile E. Uber-mobile things may not work out as planned.  Getting wiggly in a moving vehicle can generate a variety of unintended consequences.  I can think of a few off the top of my head, but we better set those aside on a PG-rated forum.  Let's just say it won't be pretty.

To avoid those unintended consequences we need a Nookie Law.  Maybe I should visit our next city council meeting and bring up the subject.  We'll see what the brain trust whips up.

[Cyber Liberty]

We need a Nookie Law.

If you're on a hot date and happen to be in the back of a Wile E. Uber-mobile things may not work out as planned.  Getting wiggly in a moving vehicle can generate a variety of unintended consequences.  I can think of a few off the top of my head, but we better set those aside on a PG-rated forum.  Let's just say it won't be pretty.

To avoid those unintended consequences we need a Nookie Law.  Maybe I should visit our next city council meeting and bring up the subject.  We'll see what the brain trust whips up.

You should.  They'll thank you for it later.

[Suppressed]

A lot of kids these days don't even want to drive. Its like my nephew said before he finally got his driver's license at 25 years old. Cars are too expensive, upkeep is too expensive, gas is too expensive, insurance is too expensive.

I couldn't wait to get my driver's license and my parents were happy to have a willing errand runner.

Yeah, @Cripplecreek.... @thackney's graph illustrates that.

My friend's son doesn't want to drive, get a job, move out... amazes me.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Yeah, @Cripplecreek.... @thackney's graph illustrates that.

My friend's son doesn't want to drive, get a job, move out... amazes me.

Same here with my nephew. He wants to get work livecasting video games, no joke.

[DB]

Yep. People actually think the public will allow driveless semi's. That will be sued out of existence the first accident that happens. Not to mention that truck drivers are a major source of employment for our country.

It will probably end up like a train engineer. They don't much while at cruising speed but they have to be present.

[massadvj]

Lawyers will likely put the brakes on this for a while. Somebody has to be held responsible and it won't be AI.

This is on a fast track. Driverless cars will pass regulatory hurdles very quickly.  The technology is just too good, and too beneficial to society, to hold back.  Besides, we cannot allow other countries to leapfrog us on something this disruptive.

It will start with cruise control that keeps you in your lane and adjusts your speed to the flow of traffic.  Once you are on the freeway you can literally go into automatic pilot.  That technology will be on most new cars within a few years.  Within ten years most new cars will be autonomous and self-driving.

As for liability, the owner of the property is liable for what happens, as always.  Manufacturers are not going to stay out of this business because they fear liability.

[Suppressed]

It will probably end up like a train engineer. They don't much while at cruising speed but they have to be present.

These positions will become more difficult to fill with appropriate candidates as the Attention-Deficit Generation takes over.

[Fishrrman]

DB wrote:
"It will probably end up like a train engineer. They don't much while at cruising speed but they have to be present."

You might be surprised at what an engineer has to do to -keep- a train "at cruising speed", be it a passenger or freight train.

It's not like a plane that can be switched to autopilot.
There's no equivalent on trains (at least, not yet).

The faster the train is moving, the -more- there is to keep an eye on.

There are relatively few areas anywhere in the country where a railroad is built on flat, straight track. Terrain changes, upgrades, downgrades, slowdowns, curves -- all require some degree of action on the part of the engineer, even just adjusting throttle, using brakes, etc.

Addendum:
Tell me what this sentence means:
"Kid, ya gotta run the train. You can't let the train run you!"
Sounds like a play on words, right?
Took me YEARS to fully get a grip on that… ;)

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

DB wrote:
"It will probably end up like a train engineer. They don't much while at cruising speed but they have to be present."

You might be surprised at what an engineer has to do to -keep- a train "at cruising speed", be it a passenger or freight train.

It's not like a plane that can be switched to autopilot.
There's no equivalent on trains (at least, not yet).

The faster the train is moving, the -more- there is to keep an eye on.

There are relatively few areas anywhere in the country where a railroad is built on flat, straight track. Terrain changes, upgrades, downgrades, slowdowns, curves -- all require some degree of action on the part of the engineer, even just adjusting throttle, using brakes, etc.

Addendum:
Tell me what this sentence means:
"Kid, ya gotta run the train. You can't let the train run you!"
Sounds like a play on words, right?
Took me YEARS to fully get a grip on that… ;)

There's was an Amtrak wreck where the engineer was texting a few years ago wasn't there?

[Hondo69]

I'm wondering what the world record might be for the number of people you can squeeze into a Wile E. Uber-mobile?