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What puddle?

Member Since: 25 Oct 2013
Location: Reading
Posts: 952

Driverless cars (was: Is it just me?)

I cannot, for the life of me, see driverless cars taking off. I daily read the motoring press, and by doing so you pick up on trends. And driverless cars are almost mentioned constantly now, as though they are round the corner and about to be let loose on our roads big-time. How so? I don't get it. Here in Reading, we have a few strange and potentially dangerous junctions which a human mind can cope with. Quite how a computer will do it just baffles me. How will a driverless car react at a mini roundabout when some hand gesturing can assist who goes first (never mind the actual road rule). How can a driverless car react to someone letting it out of a junction? Obviously it won't understand a flash of headlights either? How will it cope with a 4-way, signal-less junction where pedestrians are keen to add to the mix? How will it know about hanging behind an annoying lycra-clad cyclist as he weaves to avoid a fag-end - and wait for a short, but distinct, break in the oncoming traffic, and then to move briskly past while giving lycra-clad gimp enough space?

Last week, I was on a dual carriageway doing 60, with a car overtaking me. Some shytehead decided to pull out in front of me. When they did, I was so close that there wasn't even time to brake (as I explained to a police officer yesterday - and which he could see on the dash-cam video I gave them). I made an instant decision to take a line between the future position of shytehead's Toyota and the future position of the Audi overtaking me. I am proud to say that it was excellent judgement, precision and driving skill. I managed to miss both cars (from the video evidence) by just a few inches. Could a driverless car do that? I knew someone was overtaking me, so I couldn't weave out, but I also knew that braking wouldn't work - I would have hit them at virtually 60 and not been here typing this!

In the right conditions, driverless cars could be great. But the roads are FAR from ideal. You constantly make tiny adjustments and judgements based on how some idiot council worker has designed a road system and a junction which defies belief. Yet it really does look as if driverless cars are going to be here very soon. I just cannot see how they will cope. I CAN see them holding up traffic while their computer makes a decision which we usually make in an instant. Is it just me?

The author would like to point out that he too, is a part-time cyclist Now left.

16th Jul 2014 1:27pm

muddybaldboy

Member Since: 09 Apr 2012
Location: Ruthin
Posts: 395

+1 to that.

Another case of, "because we can"

I'd love to see what happens in somewhere like France. Make the taxi drivers redundant and then watch the ex-drivers fire bomb the driverless cars at traffic lights!!!!

(another part time cyclist) He who dies with the most toys...wins!

16th Jul 2014 1:47pm

ZeDefender

Member Since: 15 Sep 2011
Location: Munich
Posts: 4731

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Baltic Blue

Isn't the idea that all cars should be driverless so people can't drive like A-holes and in situations of doubt the cars will decide themselves who goes first? Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing...

16th Jul 2014 3:27pm

pjb

Member Since: 08 Apr 2009
Location: Sunny Oxford
Posts: 1244

But if you have a driverless BMW will it still thinks it owns the road

2020 P300 HSE

16th Jul 2014 3:34pm

muddybaldboy

Member Since: 09 Apr 2012
Location: Ruthin
Posts: 395

ZeDefender wrote:
Isn't the idea that all cars should be driverless so people can't drive like A-holes and in situations of doubt the cars will decide themselves who goes first?

But at what point do you insist no-one drives a car, what happens to the classics??

I wouldn't trust a computer to take my 110 where i take it

He who dies with the most toys...wins!

16th Jul 2014 3:53pm

LandRoverAnorak

Member Since: 17 Jul 2011
Location: Surrey
Posts: 11240

2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Orkney Grey

It's more likely that certain areas will be declared 'driverless only', with cars retaining manual controls for use elsewhere. Think Minority Report. Darren

110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak

"You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia

16th Jul 2014 3:57pm

What puddle?

Member Since: 25 Oct 2013
Location: Reading
Posts: 952

pjb: love it

Now left.

16th Jul 2014 4:42pm

timbar

Member Since: 30 Jul 2013
Location: Milton Keynes
Posts: 245

2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

LandRoverAnorak wrote:
It's more likely that certain areas will be declared 'driverless only', with cars retaining manual controls for use elsewhere. Think Minority Report.

Yep, driverless cars will work best (and be much simpler) when there are only driverless cars. 2009 110 XS Station Wagon

16th Jul 2014 4:59pm

ZeDefender

Member Since: 15 Sep 2011
Location: Munich
Posts: 4731

muddybaldboy wrote:
ZeDefender wrote:
Isn't the idea that all cars should be driverless so people can't drive like A-holes and in situations of doubt the cars will decide themselves who goes first?

But at what point do you insist no-one drives a car, what happens to the classics??

I wouldn't trust a computer to take my 110 where i take it

I didn't say it was a good idea...

Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing...

16th Jul 2014 7:37pm

TJ101

Member Since: 30 May 2007
Location: Taunton Somerset
Posts: 3747

2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Montalcino Red

Been coming a few years now,,

The Volvo train was 3/4 year back, Barcelona to the French border, outside lane at 120kph,, nose to tail

Early this year Volvo let loose 5 test cars before the 2017 date, when 100 will be running round the streets of Gothenburg

Quote:
Volvo Car Group’s first self-driving Autopilot cars test on public roads around Gothenburg

Volvo Car Group’s groundbreaking project ‘Drive Me’ – featuring 100 self-driving Volvos on public roads in everyday driving conditions – is moving forward rapidly. The first test cars are already rolling around the Swedish city of Gothenburg and the sophisticated Autopilot technology is performing well.

“The test cars are now able to handle lane following, speed adaption and merging traffic all by themselves. This is an important step towards our aim that the final ‘Drive Me’ cars will be able to drive the whole test route in highly autonomous mode. The technology, which will be called Autopilot, enables the driver to hand over the driving to the vehicle, which takes care of all driving functions,” says Erik Coelingh, Technical Specialist at Volvo Car Group.

“That Volvo Cars’ hometown Gothenburg becomes the world’s first arena for self-driving cars in everyday driving conditions demonstrates both our technological leadership and Sweden’s dedication to pioneering the integration of self-driving vehicles,” says Erik Coelingh.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-ma...-road.html California F1, 75th 110 "Kermit", 50th Ann V8, 90 V8 Hybrid, 55 Series 1

Main Brian James Trailer Dealer for South West UK

16th Jul 2014 8:14pm

Muddybigdog

Member Since: 11 Apr 2014
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 994

2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Zambezi Silver

To make matters worse, it's just wrong

Jumped ship to reliability - Mitsubishi L200
Puma 90 XS - Sold
D3 - 2.7 S x2 (both Sold)
Freelander 2 HSE - Sold
Freelander 1 - Sold
Disco 2 - Sold

16th Jul 2014 9:26pm

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