I wouldn't have a problem with leaving these cars in a single commuter lane for through traffic. You put these same cars in heavy, stop and go traffic, mixed with idiots doing bonehead manuevers, and bad weather/low visibility, all of a sudden the risks to other drivers becomes real and scary (especially if, through law changes, the cars themselves can't be held accountable for incidents).

I didn't like the idea until I paid attention to how many people have no interest in actually driving any more. Imagine how much better traffic would flow if all the cars at a traffic light started moving at the same time instead of the distracted driver sitting there.
Manufacturers are heading that way subsidy or not.

There are several driving conditions that will prevent these from working well. The first one that comes to mind is a merge from one bumper-to-bumper highway jam onto another. If nobody lets the autonomous car in, nobody will ever move on the road that is merging into the other one. The "intelligent" car will sit there forever.

I wouldn't want to be working a car wreck and funneling cars off the road, single file around an accident seen and have one of these roll up.

There are a bunch more scenarios, just think about them.

JR

I think the insurance companies are behind this.

YEs there is a risk the car may make a bad decision, but compare the likelihood of that to the likelihood of a person making a stupid decision (or ignoring their own driving).

They may decide to live with the risk of a once in a while accident versus the high frequency of accidents that occur now with the unknown variable of a human running the show.

I guess i'm one of the few behind the wheel who is actually driving, and not texting, yaking on the phone, shaving, reading thier kindle, paying attention to the screaming brats in the back seat, or god forbid, in an altered mental state from drugs, alcohol, or medical condition.

I'm sure those of you in big cities, see all of this on a daily basis in your commute. In my commute, and daily travelings, I am hardly ever on even a 4 lane highway (mostly county or state routes with an occasional short trip on a limited access highway). I am generally tooling around a town of 50,000 people that mostly drive Buicks and pickup trucks.....not alot of long commute times.

Being trapped in a car that will never exceed the posted speed limit would be hell.

Esp. on a long trip.

If you've never driven with Grandpa who won't exceed any limit, ever, you don't know the torture that is.

For that reason alone, I'd always drive myself.

And in many areas, particularly in the West, driving the 55 limit on the highway, even in the slow lane, you'll be being passed by traffic going 20+ mph faster.

They'll need to create a bicycle lane for these things.

How far away is all of this?

I guess it depends on your definition of an "autonomous cars". To me an "autonomous car" is a robot with legit "AI" on wheels.

That's what I meant when I wrote they're decades away. Even with a dedicated track they would have to be "smart".

I wish the companies developing these systems the best but there's also a lot of "spin" being spun right now.
They're trying to attract investors so that's understandable.

In 25 years I suspect folks will be looking to take my car keys. Hoping this technology is fully deployed by then. Losing mobility was hell for my parents.

My mother is 76 and she still drives every day. She loves getting out of her house and visiting her friends.
She also does volunteer work for the church.

I don't even want to think about the day they take her licence away. It will devastate her.

Auto braking may have its merits

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Yeah!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNi17YLnZpg

Autonomous for me = no hands on the wheel or feet on the pedals

I cannot see this happen in the US. How? It is a lawyers paradise already!


And I cannot see it possible to mix autonomous and normal drivers cars.
There will be enough boneheads trying to take out the autonomous cars!
There will not be less crashes.
Take the bus or the train instead and dont be so lazy!

THIS

Once they arrive will we still be allowed to drive or will we be the risk?

As the number of autonomous cars will be very small I dont think that question will arise.
And there is no way to start with a hugh amount of cars at one time.

I think they are years away but they are coming. I am ready.

Anyone that has taken a long highway drive will want one. I wish I had a magic auto drive button now for 12 hour road trips. Sit back and watch a movie or read a book and let the car drive.

The ability to get to the grocery store or the doctors office in the future when I get to the point I can't drive safely would be wonderful.

Yes, I can see the demand. I can understand that it is hard for older people to move around.
But: the human is getting more and more "lazy". But due to those "helpers" this will happen more early the more "helper" we have in the future. This will not help in regards to the mobility (ability to move themselves, by foot, by cycle, or elsehow) of elder people.

My mother in law has been driving for over 65 years. She is a decent and safe driver but she as ALWAYS hated backing up. He current car has a back up sensors and a video cameras so she knows what is back there. It is a great helper for her.

Her car has warning is you drift out of your lane.

I can grantee is she could buy a car that she could just climb into and say take me to the store or the doctors office she would be buying one. She has never enjoyed driving, and thinks it is a chore.

There are so many people on the road who are only driving because they have no good alternative. They have no interest in what they are doing. Autonomous cars would be great for them.
I can see myself using an autonomous car on long trips. When I get tired of driving, pull into the autonomous lane and take a break, look at the scenery, then get back into the fast lane and drive when you I'm rested.
I don't see fully autonomous cars, the kind where you get in the car and tell it to you somewhere, being a reality in the near future.

Glen, I hear you.
I have a VW Touran with the automatic parking system. It is great. That is a useful little helper.
But some time ago I saw electric bicycles. That is great for older people wanting to use the bicycle way after they normally could do that. BUT then I realized that there are electric bikes for children and electric mountain bikes. Cmon! How stupid is that?