Why We're Not Ready for Self Driving Cars

Jack Scott: I've heard many of the arguments as to why autonomous vehicles are a good idea with the advancement in artificial intelligence. But I'd argue that the one thing that AI can't figure out are the unknown-unknowns of human behavior.

A perfect example will be a supermarket parking lot where everyone is trying to get in and out at the same time. Some people are overly rude while others are overly courteous. We've all been in that situation where you and the other driver are telling each other to "go". It's the back and forth between, "Go.. no YOU go..no after you, I insist" and eventually both drivers go at the same time, then stop at the same time and then it starts over again.

Also in places like shopping mall parking lots or busy gas stations there's a mini gridlock where everyone collectively decides who has the right of way and who just needs to get out of the way.

From what I can tell, self-driving cars can only stay between the lines and avoid obstacles. But they can't read someone's body language if they are standing at the edge of a curb, indecisive as to whether they are going to cross the street, or if they just want to wave the car to pass by. In this situation a human being can judge the body language and facial expressions of the pedestrian and proceed cautiously while being prepared to stop if they change their mind at the last minute. They can't figure out when it's appropriate to drive off of the course in situations where there's an accident, disabled vehicle, or some other issue where the plotted course can't be followed.

Thoughts?

deacon7771: I am a test driver, and have more experience than most people when it comes to driving. My observations are that human beings really aren't nearly as good at driving as they seem to think they are. The most damning factor in human drivers is their absolutely lousy judgment and evaluation of everything, they almost ALWAYS overestimate their own skills and abilities, along with overestimating their vehicle's capability, then to top it all off the average human being is operating under a very strong delusion that their own little problems and needs are clearly the most important thing in the universe ("I just have to get there before the store closes...." ) and they feel quite right and justified in taking insanely stupid risks to get to their destination "on time." They could not possibly be able to leave for work, school, or shopping a few minutes EARLY and be able to drive safely, no, they must wait until the very last second and drive like maniacs to get to their all important destination - and risk their own life and the lives of others all because they just had to wait until it is too late before setting off on the day's activities.

Recently, two deaths involving self driving cars would indicate that there is still some work to be done, but for the most part, it is obvious to anyone that self driving cars are infinitely safer than what we have now.

The giant midget: Wipeout the bad behaviour of human drivers completely ( eating,personal grooming cell phone use, mastrubation, etc.) and make sure that pedestrians are restrained forever in a wheelchair after they just walk out into traffic
Eliminating them 2 we will not need self driving for a very long time

Stephen2020Vision: The two deaths involving self-driving cars have turned a lot of people off them...

what caused those accidents exactly? The problem i have is...if you are not in control of the wheel...who is?

Jack Scott: Unfortunately there is no "wheel" to take over in situations were the need exceeds the intelligence of the vehicle. Like if the car is ordered to pull over and it keeps on going. Who gets into trouble? The occupant or the programmer?

Stephen2020Vision: The programmer. 100%.

The giant midget: I just need someone to explain to me why we need a self driving car???

Jack Scott: The rationale is that we are just too busy with too many other things to take on the mundane chore of driving. For some people it's just too difficult, stressful, and outright annoying.

Stephen2020Vision: The giant midget call me a loon but there's a world wide conspiracy going on to make people dependent on technology see they want a population they can control. People making their own choices driving their own cars are a threat?

The giant midget: Jack that's why there's public transportation and taxi industry it plain and simple.
Climate I am not calling you a loon , for once you are correct Imo

deacon7771: I just don't know, on one hand, the freedom and independence of an old fashioned car - just jump in and drive where ever you want, that is so nice and I will truly miss it when it is taken from us completely. But on the other hand, humans ARE lousy drivers, every year the death toll from driving is a TOTALLY IGNORED slaughter, when one lunatic shoots up a school people all over the world SCREAM and demand "gun control," one angry overworked police officer shoots an unarmed black man and again, people scream and demand restraints on the police, yet on any day, world wide, our highway deaths far far far outstrip the deaths caused by any of the "cause celeb" of the daily screaming protests. Just a little over a week ago, a friend of mine was killed in a motorcycle versus pick-up truck crash, nobody is screaming and protesting, and nobody ever will, we are so desensitized to driving deaths. It strikes me, the unbelievable amount of news coverage we give any lunatic with a home made bomb, a gun, or even a knife, but we totally ignore the slaughter on our roads. I truly hate the idea of giving up any freedom or privacy, I believe that if people will collectively demand that they get to keep their freedom and privacy, self driving cars can be made with a driving computer that can be forced to delete recorded data, forced to let the owner of the vehicle retain autonomy, and forced to allow the owner to NOT reveal it's location and activity to anyone but the owner, then maybe a self driving car could be a very real improvement.

Stephen2020Vision: Deacon I absolutely see and respect what you are saying. I have similar views, and yes the road toll is shocking.

Regarding the police itself, well I would just like to say, yes on one hand I don't want a police state, no, but at the same point there are lots of nasty people in this world that are out to judge you, condemn you and treat you like complete garbage so police are necessary to protect your freedom of association, right to not be robbed in your house etc...it's about balance really

The giant midget: Very well said there Deacon777 and totally agree with you 100%
Sorry about your friend losing his life
I personally drive slightly over 4 hours daily to and from work on highways, regional and municipal roads I witness so much ignorance,lack of respect for traffic laws and just so called drivers not knowing how to operate a vehicles
How these people obtain the privilege to carry a driving certificate,granted by a government agency is beyond my imagination
Only time there's a news clip about car accidents is when road rage is involved
I have legally been operating motorized vehicles past 42 years anything from farm and construction equipment from boats ,motorcycles, big rigs to small cars
All my children were taught how to drive on a old dodge pickup truck
1st they learned how to respect the power of the truck , respect road conditions obey the rules and regulations,and how in a blink of the eye it can become a potential weapon to cause serious damage to property and other innocent drivers ,pedestrians and within seconds it can turn into a deadly situation for everyone involved.
I have been over the years forced off roads by other drivers without serious consequences
I have been knocked off my motorcycle twice
I have been rear ended countless times
I have stopped to assist other drivers in accidents I have seen the devastating carnage it can cause however I will never ever stop for a driver that spun out of control during in a snow blizzard were road conditions are good enough to archive maximum speed of 50 km/ h while some hot shot wants to drive 120 km/h and slammed into a concrete pillar, sorry but I don't care if there's other people inside that pile of metal bleeding to death I will not stop nor call authorities

A drivers license is a privilege not a right

The giant midget: Climate change don't start with that bullshiit and police state on here

Jack Scott: Midget. The one part that stood out in your post is when you said, "1st they learned how to respect the power of the truck , respect road conditions obey the rules and regulations" I think that RESPECT is the one thing that this next generation of drivers is missing. A couple of years ago this kid in the neighborhood wrecked his father's car TWICE over a 6-month period. They were both single car accidents as a result of skidding off the road in the rain. The first time the car was wrapped around a pole but he was OK. The second time he flipped the car completely over. Again he was able to walk away unharmed. In light of all of this, my neighbor realized that even though his son lost some of his personal possessions in both car wrecks, he never lost his phone in either incident. He figured that if everything bounced around inside of the car except for the phone, then it's obvious that his son had the phone in his hand at the time of the wreck..

Another thing that stood out was when you continued on and said, "in a blink of the eye it can become a potential weapon to cause serious damage to property and other innocent drivers ,pedestrians and within seconds it can turn into a deadly situation for everyone involved." When I was in driving school some 30 years ago, they showed us films of car crashes that included all of the blood and guts. To this day I think about that movie whenever I see someone on the interstate pass me like I wasn't even moving only to later see them as the one who caused the accident up ahead.

Stephen2020Vision: Midget I was talking to deacon mainly

Angry Beaver: I remember Arnie took over the wheel of that taxi in True Lies, so you must be able to? Like, just rip the robot out...

The giant midget: we don't need to have selfdriving cars yet
As I stated before if you just want to sit back in your car and let some computer putput you around while you personally groomed yourself because you woke up late or feed your face and if auto manufacturers get a demand maybe you might want to start up preparing dinner for the family on your way home
just imagine a full size kitchen on 4 wheels endless possibilities with these self driving car.
if you don't like driving cut up your driver's license

people just want to be seen in one of those death traps take some selfies and post on Facebook to elevate their status in the social media B.S.
oh almost forgot if you thinking about getting one of these cars please do your family a huge favour and arrange your funeral for you
it's just less burden on your family

hornchurchmale: self driving will arrive. probably same time restricted use f roads. occurs. eg driving own car will be restricted. to quiet times and non frequent use or distance limitations. reason : many. accidents . idiots. in control of a high speed machine . lack of road space (. hence selling new cars will be limited to only a new car fo revery old car. scrapped)
Indonesia has already banned selling ANY new cars .
rest of world only 5-15 years behind. in many cases its either driver stupidity /deliberate bad driving or pedestrians causing incidents and not computers! last. self drive car death was caused by programming altered to 'speed ' up its time from point a. to B.
in a logical world pedestrians. will be banned form crossing roads EXCEPT as designated. points .thus allowing faster traffic. flow. all drivers having no driverless cars to be monitored eg black box. fitted by law. so speed .acceleration braking and driving distance.times etc all checked .
if? found dangerous or anti social withdraw licence and possibly confiscate car!
comment from 'test driver ' earlier is. to be expected though possibly biased ( have been a 'test' driver myself )
we also need to have a lifetime record of driving.. so for drivers no longer subsidised by the better ones.
aware. al claim insurance is too high .but essentially its driven by costs. from accidents ( mainly young men) this whom have an 'accident' every few years ( or sooner) thus. pay far more OR use a self drive car .
ideally we will get to stage ALL cars are self drive and rented. so like a shopping trolley or taxi ..you walk to nearest 'car' station .insert pay card and insert destination an doff you go.
all is possible.

The giant midget: that's like in the very near future
maybe 75 or even being conservative 115 years from now?

hornchurchmale: not at all. technology already here . just need implementation .huge costs and masses public resistance are what is stopping it!

The giant midget: public resistance is due to poor performance of these selfdriving coffins
it's cheaper to have a flying car and more reliable

Stephen2020Vision: Yes the road toll is bad...

But if you are not in control of the car...who is??

The giant midget: Destiny with be your chauffeur for this ride

hornchurchmale: Destiny is already in hands of others.. government. doctors..internet. etc

hornchurchmale: as. to whom is in control.. simple. ..a computer .