Autonomous Cars, Yes or No?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by mattcanary

There are more elements in the driving-test nowadays. However, that does not necessarily mean that the driving test is harder to pass nowadays.

According to studies, yes it is harder.

https://www.arnoldclark.com/newsroom...getting-harder

In the UK we're pretty ridiculous with how we treat younger generations when it comes to things like tests. If they do badly we criticise them and say things were better in the old days. If they do well then we say things are getting easier. We put young people in a catch-22 where they cannot possibly succeed. We desperately cling to this idea that young people are more stupid than ever, probably just to make ourselves feel better about the fact we're getting old. We'll even justify it by asking how strict the examiners are nowadays.

My grandfather drove around an airfield in Angus to get his driving license. He's rather proud of the fact he still cannot parallel park and has absolutely no chance of passing the theory, practical or hazard perceptions. He says these are all distractions and have nothing to do with driving. But I'm sure it was much harder back then.

---

On the real topic of self-driving cars - as a society, we seem to be very afraid of them. Every time one is involved in an accident, it's on every news site in the world. Then you read about it and find that some blind 70-year-old has accidentally rear-ended the self-driving car at 10 mph, and turns out it had nothing to do with the self-drivingness of the car. We seem to want the technology to fail before it's begun, which is kinda interesting.

The different approaches of the companies is interesting too. Tesla rolling unfinished beta software to all its drivers. Not sure I'd want to beta test self-driving software, to be honest. But the Tesla justification is that even in the beta state, the technology saves lives, so it'd be wrong not to roll it out. Whilst Waymo and others aren't allowing public test and aren't doing a product launch until it's considered fully completed self-driving.

[wnut]

Tesla recalling 475000 cars over safety issues.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/motoring/n...?ocid=msedgntp

Tesla has subsequently agreed to remove such gaming features while its cars are moving, according to the NHTSA.

[Adam43]

The rear view camera and hood thing are pretty normal recalls. Happens to other manufactures that don’t get people all worked up about.

The playing games while in motion of a car that isn’t fully autonomous is silly. Good it’s deactivated. When we have fully autonomous cars then we can have the games back.

Autonomous cars: saviors of the country pub and promoter of gaming and less tedious journeys.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by wnut

Tesla recalling 475000 cars over safety issues.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/motoring/n...?ocid=msedgntp

Tesla has subsequently agreed to remove such gaming features while its cars are moving, according to the NHTSA.

The cars weren't recalled for the part of the article you quoted.

The article itself is funny. "Tesla recalls almost half a million electric cars". I wonder why they say they're electric. On the same day Ford recalled a quarter of a million F150s because some shielding had a habit of detaching from the frame, destroying a drive shaft and causing accidents. But the headlines don't appear to be "Ford recalls almost quarter of a million internal combustion engine trucks over safety issues". I'm unsure why they have the need to point out the power train type when it's a about a mirror and trunk. Unless you're fishing for clicks from people who'll copy and paste the link about to tell you how bad electric cars are, of course.

Interesting, eh.

[Aysedasi]

Media spin as always. You only have to have watched the UK TV news (either main channel) over the last 2 years to know all about agendas and applying spin to whatever the journalists fancy emphasising.... We don't actually get any 'pure' news any more, we get whatever take journalists peddle on whatever news has been dredged up...

[Adam43]

But when it fits your own agenda it isn’t questioned. And when it doesn’t it is biased. As with many things the fault partially lies with ourselves.

In this case I don’t think there is an agenda as such just the desire to get clicks and spread the news from those that like to hear this.

[Aysedasi]

Perhaps Adam, but agendas have become far more obvious in news generally, not electric cars specifically of course....

[Adam43]

Yes. I’m wondering if some of it is a lot of it is more superficial? Pandering to other people’s agendas is easy news. Reporting properly even if people don’t automatically agree (automatically like) what you are saying is far harder. The first approach gets people to come back, the second loses a lot of people. It loses the unthinking kind, but it’s about quantity not quality.

I suppose this is still doing it for your own agenda. Some of it is your agenda is just getting more money, others have a bigger agenda that changes how we are governed. Although this is still just for power and money.

/deep man.

[broadrun96]

Never would have thought the Atlanta media was up to date with everything a clear but they mentioned both of those recalls main page in the national news section. Both listed recall of vehicles, no mention of electric vs ICE, they did mention the gaming while in motion though

The Tesla recall fun is now because they are rapidly catching up to Ford (my city issued Escape has had 11 in 2 years, 3 major) for recall of the week. An electric car guy buddy on mine is still in a loaner 3 because his Y has been at Tesla 7 times since he picked it up. He wants his S back cause he hates the build quality. Course 100k vs 60 is a big difference in finish cause many parts are identical, especially as his S was 2014. Ys seem to have the most issues locally but they are becoming far more common so more people to complain


But the main topic, autonomous cars sadly can't come fast enough. I have started holding at the switch to green since people now view red as an advisory indicator rather than traffic control. I've seen full speed T-bone collisions as 35 mph intersections driving both cars across the lanes and curbs on a near daily basis. 35 mph anywhere in Atlanta and you will get driven off the road with haste, flipped off and occasionally guided/pushed off the road, but good news the city is going to lower the speeds to 25 to slow traffic. People just suck and maybe taking the control from some would be good.

[chillibowl]

almost -30c here today and the roads a basically ice...drive to work took ages as it was basically one ever repeating concertina effect. of course will appreciate the choice to drive or be driven, but on days like this the dance needs to be choreographed.

cant come fast enough!

[NaBUru38]

Didn't Land Rover had dual screens, so the driver could see the map and the co-driver could watch videos?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Didn't Land Rover had dual screens, so the driver could see the map and the co-driver could watch videos?

It has been an option on some Range Rover models for a while now:

https://youtu.be/L1eCpM-4ZHg

Although I wouldn't consider it as bringing any form of autonomy to driving the vehicle.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Didn't Land Rover had dual screens, so the driver could see the map and the co-driver could watch videos?

Most Range Rover drivers drive as if they're watching a video......