the problem with driverless cars and electric cars is that like they don't really solve any problems. like if your gripe is traffic then just making some cars electric or driverless doesn't change the number of cars on the road. it'd be like outlawing suvs and saying you can only drive compacts, it's still the same number of cars the cars are just different. the only way to really fix that problem is to reduce the number of cars on the road and the only really effective way to do that is basically making biking, walking and public transportation more convenient than driving. And doing that basically requires changing how we've built cities and towns for the last like 70 years in north america.

if the complaint is environmental/climate related then all electric cars do is just move the emissions of a car from the tailpipe to the powergrid, the carbon savings from a tesla from an ICE is about the same as a subcompact to an SUV. plus electric vehicles are massively heavy so that's more wear and tear on roads (the electric hummer weighs like 10,000 lbs lol) and you have to consider the environmental impact of batteries which isn't nothing.

yeah but like a bus or a train can already do all of those things

Wear and tear to roads from leaking oil, gasoline and brake fluid is probably even worse. Its not like a electric sedan is as big of a difference than a car to a semi or even close.

Alos shitty people and bad drivers also cause traffic jam. A driverless society (which I acknowledge will not happen in my lifetime) you would have yo think lower traffic by a ton just due to efficiency.

JFC, you are such a pussy about everything. Fatigued from driving? How difficult is it to operate a vehicle vs. sitting on your ass inside a vehicle still focusing on the road. Do your wee little arms and foot get tired operating that heavy steering wheel and brake pedal?

I mean, I can take a nap if I'm not driving. And I'm a fan of naps more than I am a fan of staring at the car in front of me.

Its mental fatigue not physical. Notice I said long trips. If you dont think you get mental fatigue the longer you drive you are kidding yourself.

Excellent point.

Excellent point.


I think the key is to get irrational humans to drive less, regardless of how that happens.


Excellent point.

Some people enjoy driving, and that's great. I figure there'll always be niches where a human driver is needed.

But I'm right there with you on not enjoying driving. It's a big waste of time. There are times when I'm out in some huge rural area where it's kind of peaceful, but most of my driving is not out in a rural utopia. And while the scenery can be nice, I'd rather see the scenery from a train where I'm not needing to watch the road.

If you think about the number of hours Americans spend driving every year, how many great novels are going unwritten? How many kids' treehouses are going unbuilt? How many lonely housewives are being left unsatisfied? There are a million better ways that that billion hours could be used.

Lol...the sprawling metropolis of Springfield and its miles of bumper to bumper traffic is sure to send fear through even the most seasoned of drivers.

I don't believe you can take a nap if you are on auto pilot. You have to keep your eyes forward and on the road or the vehicle gives you a warning.

If you're on auto pilot, you are basically driving without moving your arms or making all the "exhausting" decisions like "do I stop at this stop sign", "can I make this right turn on a red light", and "do I have enough time to pass this jackass in front of me before my exit."

It's not mental fatigue from driving. It's mental fatigue from doing anything for a long period of time. If you are sitting in the drivers seat staring out the window for hours on end, you are going to be mentally fatigued as long as you are awake. At least driving gives you something to keep you occupied.

I lean more towards getting unnecessary drivers off the road through remote work, delivery services, and walking while implementing driver less vehicles as a compliment to the primary solution mentioned above.

There are WAYYYY too many people who just suck at driving that are placing others in danger for no good reason.


BTW: Get off your cell phone. If you were that important that you need 24/7 connectivity you wouldn't be driving.

Exactly!:)
I lived in Chicagoland for 18 years and there is no way I could handle that now., Used to travel to NY, LA, Boston etc. by car on business.

But, for the past 9 years, we have lived where a car going by is an event you look up and notice. o:-)

So going to Springfield, is a dramatic change for this old man. Last month at 2:30 in the afternoon I was wondering why everyone in Springfield was out driving instead of working. :cuss:

Have great day!

Bingo!

On a recent trip we were taking to Indianapolis, a young lady in a mini van wasn't even hiding the fact she was texting/using her phone for many miles on I-44. She was actually holding it up near the rear view mirror like she was facetiming someone doing 75mph.

They should make a device, similar to those breathalyzer interlocks to keep the driver off of their phones.

I recognize that I'm not as good a driver as I used to be, too. I'm still fine, and I've never been at fault in an accident, but I can tell that my skills are declining over time. This is a modern paranoia based on late-night ambulance chaser ads, and I recognize that I'm still a fine driver, but I don't want to at some point get in a crash and get sued because I didn't notice a stop light or something.

There are political factors in many things; most things, actually. There are gray areas when it comes to things like this. That's why sometimes I hate that we have to post certain things in DC. Sometimes, I would like a good, vibrant discussion with many different viewpoints. But I know that certain subjects will get relegated to DC no matter what. :(