I Wouldn't Bet on Autonomous Cars Anytime Soon | FerrariChat

I Wouldn't Bet on Autonomous Cars Anytime Soon

Discussion in 'General Automotive Discussion' started by G. Pepper, Feb 5, 2019.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. G. Pepper

    G. Pepper Three Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Mar 15, 2012
    33,708
    Texas/Colorado
    Full Name:
    George Pepper
    MalcQV likes this.
  2. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    75,370
    Texas!
    Somehow cruise missiles work. I think the key will be installing sensors every 10 yards of so. Here a sensor, there a sensor, everywhere a sensor. Sensors are cheep. Mass transit is not.
     
  3. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
    33,736
    Austin TX
    Full Name:
    Brian Crall
    #3 Rifledriver, Feb 5, 2019
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2019
    I have every confidence our brain dead politicians will make some legal proclamation requiring implementation long before the technology will support it. Then either massive tax dollars or more probably massive price hikes on existing cars will take place to force the technological issue. Why should this technological advance and decision making process be handled any more intelligently than others in the modern era?

    You want stupid and expensive? Just put a politician in the mix. Then add lobbyists selling the technology who are looking for legislation or just straight up grant hand outs.

    We made the decision a few years ago that any car we will own in our lifetime has already been built. Jay Leno says real cars quit being built in 1967. I am on board with him but my timeline is a little different.
     
    JCR and Texas Forever like this.
  4. Jaguar36

    Jaguar36 Formula Junior

    Nov 8, 2010
    834
    Cherry Hill, NJ
    It depends on what you mean by 'autonomous'. If you mean able to drive with no driver under all weather conditions, then yes that's likely a more than a decade off. Even then it'll be far more of a political issue than a technical one.

    However if you are talking about a car that will drive you door-door in good weather, during the day, I think we will be there technically much much sooner. Today there are already cars on the market can deal with everything about highway driving, changing lanes to avoid slow drivers, dealing with interchanges, getting on the right off ramp and such.

    The question will be if autonomous cars are held to the same standard as human drivers, or what is more likely, is that they will be held to a much much higher standard that will delay their implementation tremendously. Doing so will cost a ton of lives, but that seems to be how things will go.

    The final thing is that once autonomous vehicles start costing jobs the resistance to them will skyrocket, and the unions will lobby hard to prevent them from being legal.
     
    G. Pepper likes this.
  5. G. Pepper

    G. Pepper Three Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Mar 15, 2012
    33,708
    Texas/Colorado
    Full Name:
    George Pepper
    I think the legal ramifications will be a particularly sticky wicket. How will liability be handled? If you own the car that malfunctions and causes bodily or financial harm, are you as the owner liable, or is the manufacturer? Or maybe the liability will be shared? Same goes for a fleet management company. Insurers will have to figure out how to cover things as well. There will be lots of lobbying and legislation involved.
     
  6. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
    33,736
    Austin TX
    Full Name:
    Brian Crall
    The unions have been easily bought off before when we exported our manufacturing industry, trucking deregulation etc. They can be bought off again.
     
    Texas Forever likes this.
  7. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
    33,736
    Austin TX
    Full Name:
    Brian Crall
    Thats easy. It will be decided in favor of what is most beneficial for the legal profession.
     
    G. Pepper likes this.
  8. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    75,370
    Texas!
    You have the same issues with mass transit. Try suing city hall.
     
    G. Pepper likes this.

Share This Page