do we want driverless cars?

[larrybuck]

Driverless cars sound like no fun to me | MLive.com

[Gealii]

i say make it as an option, so that the elderly and visually impaired can still go places without putting others in danger. And even as an option have an over ride because even computers can't predict some events that happen

[jamesqf]

I wouldn't mind it as an option for long, boring freeway drives, but otherwise? No, thanks. And I'd still want to know how it deals with deer, snow, dirt roads... basically anything but nice, clean pavement.

[HydroJim]

I don't see this technology becoming available for a LONGG time. to many kinks to work out. It would be a brilliant way to save fuel. Just imagine having intersections that never have red lights. Just perfect timing everywhere.

[redneck]

just think of all the extra curricular activities you could be doing...

[gone-ot]

"...not I..." said the little red hen.

[Ryland]

We've gone from 5,000 miles per year, to 10,000 miles per year to 15,000 miles per year being common, we are not seeing people who drive 20,000 and 30,000 miles per year! do we really need to be wasting that much fuel on personal transportation??? If you can't drive your own car take public transit, I live in a town of 15,000 people and we have public transit and part of that is a few buses that will pick you up at your door if you are elderly or disabled, there is even an online route map allowing you to see where the bus you want to catch is so you don't have to stand outside in the cold waiting for it!
That is what I would like to see, not every single person, no matter their age or ability ridding around in their own personal pod.
We need to find ways to make better uses of our resources, not figure out ways to use them up faster!

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Ryland

If you can't drive your own car take public transit, I live in a town of 15,000 people and we have public transit...

Not everyone lives in cities like you do. Even in cities, public transit does not always go where people want to go.

...part of that is a few buses that will pick you up at your door if you are elderly or disabled...

Which is more fuel efficient and cost effective, sending a bus and driver from some location to a person's door and taking them where they want to go and back, then on to the next client, or having a software-controlled vehicle that does not a) need to do the extra driving; and b) expect to be paid?

[JRMichler]

GM has already announced plans to sell cars with autopilots in 2020. That's only eight years from now.

Most of the pieces are in current production - night vision, lane sensing, automatic braking, electric power steering, electric power brakes, intelligent cruise control. R&D autonomous vehicles have been driven on public roads for several years now.

Most of the work to be done is making it robust and reliable. Robust means it has to work in rain, snow, fog, real world traffic, deer, dogs, kids, ....

I wonder how they will program it to deal with tailgaters?

[basjoos]

Originally Posted by Ryland

We've gone from 5,000 miles per year, to 10,000 miles per year to 15,000 miles per year being common, we are not seeing people who drive 20,000 and 30,000 miles per year! do we really need to be wasting that much fuel on personal transportation??? If you can't drive your own car take public transit, I live in a town of 15,000 people and we have public transit and part of that is a few buses that will pick you up at your door if you are elderly or disabled, there is even an online route map allowing you to see where the bus you want to catch is so you don't have to stand outside in the cold waiting for it!
That is what I would like to see, not every single person, no matter their age or ability ridding around in their own personal pod.
We need to find ways to make better uses of our resources, not figure out ways to use them up faster!

My main problem with public transport is that it is very time inefficient. You can waste lots of time waiting for the bus to arrive and then spend lots of time waiting for the connecting bus to arrive. Also it limits what you can purchase to items small enough to easily carry with you. The main advantage to individualized transport (i.e. cars) is that you can go when and where you want and can easily carry home any purchases made en route.