by Outcast_Searcher » Wed 10 May 2017, 17:14:58
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', '
')Will automated cars dodge squirrels, armadillos, and baby ducks? Or will they just run them over? I'm a very long way from accepting automated controls in my car. I'm already hearing tales from friends about inappropriate sudden braking and steering wheel corrections from their semi-automated driving controls. The other looming issue that I see coming down the highway, is a new sense of complacency allowing road hypnotized drivers to think to themselves "My cruise is auto adjust, my steering controls keeps me in lane, I feel safe enough... to... just... close... my... eyes... for... one... zzzzzzzzzz...."
But what we have today is NOT EVEN CLOSE to fully tested, vetted, approved, proven, safe autonomous cars. (No matter how many times Musk calls Tesla's limited driving aids "Autopilot", and no matter how many bogus claims Musk makes about Teslas being fully autonomous in a couple/few years.
I'm just hoping that for a hefty premium, I can actually buy a truly autonomous car with some confidence (marketplace experience and objective data) by the time I need to quit driving (for safety) in 20 years or so. Given the pace of real world (not hype) technology advancement, and the need for society re government rules and regulations, insurance, standards, etc. to get all the needed ducks in a row -- I'm hopeful but not confident the technology will beat my biology.
Real world, watching various Youtube videos of a Tesla on Autopilot repeatedly diving off the road, steering toward cars in the oncoming lane, running into large stationary objects at high speed, ignoring pedeatrians at low speed, etc. shows there is a LOT of work to do before these things are consistently significantly safer than humans.
Given the track record of the perma-doomer blogs, I wouldn't bet a fast crash doomer's money on their predictions.