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Driverless Cars Far More Likely To Get Into Crashes, Study Finds
Investor's Business Daily ^ | 10/29/2015 | John Merline

Posted on 10/30/2015 4:47:08 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer

As interest in self-driving cars accelerates, so have questions about their safety and reliability. The idea is that self-driving cars will be safer because they will make far fewer mistakes. But can people trust computer algorithms to guide them safely through incredibly complex and ever-changing road conditions?

(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...


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KEYWORDS: autosafety; blogpimp; driverlesscars; ibd; pimpmyblog; youbepimpin
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To: 9YearLurker

Actually I can see a plausible scenario where people will be identified by their cell phones, including their location. That exists, both by actual ID, and by demographic by following your political activity.

Once Govco has ID’d you and your location, it would be simple to kill you with a driverless car and make it look like an accident or a malfunction.


21 posted on 10/30/2015 5:12:03 AM PDT by Eccl 10:2 (Prov 3:5 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding")
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To: IBD editorial writer

I love computers! I worked in IT for 30 years. Computers have automated so incredible tasks, supported by millions of lines of code and teams of IT people. Trust it with my life to drive my car? Ah, no.

Give me more advanced information - sure. I could use some infrared / night vision technology. Give me the sensor data of distances and vehicle locations.

But again, trust a computer with my life - never.


22 posted on 10/30/2015 5:14:53 AM PDT by rigelkentaurus
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To: IBD editorial writer
The hardware, algorithms and reliability will improve with time.
One day computer drivers will be safer than humans (which is good) but one day humans will not be allowed to drive without computer assist (which is not so good).

Computers have two advantages over humans, they don't get impatient or angry.
They have no reason to exceed the speed limit.
That may drive others crazy of course. Oh well.

23 posted on 10/30/2015 5:17:50 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
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To: IBD editorial writer
I don't mind the "eyesight" features that allow vehicles to keep you from ramming another car or object, but I prefer the way my Mercedes works - any input from the driver to indicate he has control (steering/braking/taking foot off accelerator) results in the system not taking over.

The blind spot monitoring is also very nice as it only gives visual and audio signals vs. taking action.

The "leaving the lane" function is about useless.

Traction control can be useful under the right conditions but should require user action to turn it on vs. being always on unless the user turns it off.

I hate having "turn the engine off at a stop" function and the fact that it has to be manually turned off after each start - at least the button is readily accessible and it is punched every time I start up.

I also hate the "stability control" which can hit an individual tire's brake to get you out of some problems - if it kicks in while one is going over gravel/sand etc., and or on the brink of a drop off (that the car is blissfully unaware of) it can lead to disaster by screwing the pooch with a driver's attempts to maintain control under a dicey condition - only way to turn mine off is to enter the menu available from the steering wheel and disable the ESP option - it automatically enables at the next start.

Under specific conditions, some of the "enhancements" can be very useful, but under the wrong conditions, they can cause more harm than good.

24 posted on 10/30/2015 5:19:37 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: IBD editorial writer

Presumably, driverless cars will be designed so they automatically stop for pedestrians in their path.

Most cities I’ve been, pedestrians already walk out in front of traffic. The only thing that stops them is the chance that a driver may not see them and plow into them.

My prediction - once driverless cars are ubiquitous, pedestrians won’t even bother looking at traffic. They’ll just walk out into traffic anywhere that’s convenient knowing that all the cars will stop.

Then all the police formerly used to control drivers can be reallocated as jaywalking stormtroopers...


25 posted on 10/30/2015 5:24:06 AM PDT by chrisser (This space for rent.)
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To: Flick Lives
The biggest difference that the research found, however, is fault. So far, driverless cars were to blame for zero of the crashes.

Ironically, this is the flaw of any automation process that replaces a complex set of actions. A human driver is more likely to make mistakes, but the human mind is also going to be more adept at reacting to irregular and unconventional circumstances than a machine. This is why driverless technology is really only feasible right now for applications where the "fail-safe" protocol involves the car stopping itself completely. This works in an automated parallel-parking process, but it will never work at freeway speeds.

26 posted on 10/30/2015 5:25:25 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It doesn't work for me. I gotta have more cowbell!")
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To: petercooper
A driverless car can't be worse than 1/2 the morons out there

Is it me, or is it getting worse out there? A majority of drivers don't signal. When they turn, they cross the opposite lane so badly that it's necessary to stop 20 feet before an intersection. They pull out into oncoming traffic with nowhere near enough time to safely do so. I go through yellow lights because if I don't I could easily get hit by the car behind me flooring it. The design of some rigs, of even some oversize SUVs is so massive, it's impossible to see around them or over them, thus losing vision of road signs and entrance ramps. There are increbile blind spots, some because of the neck supports and other safety features.

I used to love driving. Now it's just not as much fun as it used to be.

27 posted on 10/30/2015 5:27:50 AM PDT by grania
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To: IBD editorial writer
Driverless Cars Far More Likely To Get Into Crashes, Study Finds

My theory is this: As long as there is a mix of driverless and non-driverless vehicles on the road, there will be crashes. Driverless vehicles can only be programmed for logical circumstances and they expect sane, logical actions by other drivers. Anyone who has been on the road for five minutes knows that sanity and logic are two very rare commodities, especially in traffic.

28 posted on 10/30/2015 5:27:53 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (Charter Member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and Lifelong Enemy of Hillary Clinton!)
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To: IBD editorial writer
The problem is that a driverless car can't see the driver next to it drop their coffee in their lap, the tire blow, the crap blowing in front of a nearby vehicle on a windy day, the strap that just broke on that semi loaded with drill pipe, the cuuute little bunny that will make the other driver swerve in 3..2...1...

There are more situations on the highway than can be programmed for, and things which happen in adjacent areas which affect what happens on the highway, so an attentive human can react before the situation becomes critical. Without true AI in the cars, they won't be able to do as well as a good human.

29 posted on 10/30/2015 5:29:25 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: ThePatriotsFlag

If you don’t want to drive, take the bus.

...

Bus service sucks in most areas, you have to wear your bus pants, and then there are your fellow passengers to deal with.


30 posted on 10/30/2015 5:30:08 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: Paladin2

LOL!


31 posted on 10/30/2015 5:31:32 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: chrisser

My prediction - once driverless cars are ubiquitous, pedestrians won’t even bother looking at traffic. They’ll just walk out into traffic anywhere that’s convenient knowing that all the cars will stop.

Then all the police formerly used to control drivers can be reallocated as jaywalking stormtroopers...

...

Good points. The car will snap a picture of the jackass, who will be identified by facial recognition and issued a citation.


32 posted on 10/30/2015 5:32:04 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: Alberta's Child

The biggest difference that the research found, however, is fault. So far, driverless cars were to blame for zero of the crashes.

...

The cars are too perfect. They don’t give the same cues as a human driver. But this problem will be solvable.


33 posted on 10/30/2015 5:33:45 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: IBD editorial writer

Well I guess that puts a fork in personal vehicles, get in your city run people movers and leave the driving to professionals. < /sarc >


34 posted on 10/30/2015 5:35:14 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Will Hillary's testimony on Benghazi be under oath? Baseball players were tried for perjury.)
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To: chrisser
Most cities I've been, pedestrians already walk out in front of traffic. The only thing that stops them is the chance that a driver may not see them and plow into them.

If you imagine a situation where there has been a general loss of civility, you might want to consider there are times when having automatic braking could get you killed. Sometimes, and thankfully those times are rare, you might want to just keep going--your life could depend on it. Being corralled like a sheep by malicious pedestrians could be a real drawback.

35 posted on 10/30/2015 5:36:30 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: PapaBear3625
They keep talking about “driverless vehicles”, and it will remain BS for a number of years.

Yet they already exist.

The best they will accomplish over the short term is an “advanced cruise control” which will keep you in your lane, and save you if you start to nod off.

Such cars are already on the road, but so are the totally driverless cars, but not with regular consumers yet.

36 posted on 10/30/2015 5:37:21 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: IBD editorial writer

All I can think to say to that headline: Ya think?


37 posted on 10/30/2015 5:37:29 AM PDT by basil ( God bless the USA!)
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To: grania
I used to love driving. Now it's just not as much fun as it used to be.

True, that.

38 posted on 10/30/2015 5:37:56 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Paladin2

I want a vehile that can circle the block rsther than me having to find and pay for a place to park it.

...

An automated car can find a spot miles away and then pick you up when you’re ready. One company is already working on an automatic valet. It will drop you off at the front door and then go park itself.


39 posted on 10/30/2015 5:39:12 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The US has become a government with a country, rather than a country with a government.)
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To: IBD editorial writer

Really? And how much did we, the American taxpayers, pay for that study...? I would’ve told you that for a cup of coffee.


40 posted on 10/30/2015 5:42:27 AM PDT by ManHunter (You can run, but you'll only die tired... Army snipers: Reach out and touch someone)
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