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Kind of a mod
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Donkey Land
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Driverless cars could change everything
Thought this article was cool to think about.
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-28376929 Driverless cars could change everything For now, it seems like a novelty - cars that can operate independently of human control, safely cruising down streets thanks to an array of sensors and pinpoint GPS navigation. But if the technology avoids getting crushed by government regulators and product liability lawsuits, writes the Federalist's Dan McLaughlin, it could prompt a cultural shift similar to the early 20th century move away from horses as the primary means of transportation. First and foremost, he writes, the spread of driverless cars will likely greatly reduce the number of traffic accidents - which currently cost Americans $871b (£510b) a year. "A truly driverless road would not be accident-free, given the number of accidents that would still be caused by mechanical and computer errors, weather conditions, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and sheer random chance," he says. "But it would make the now-routine loss of life and limb on the roads far rarer." Computer-operated cars would eventually reshape car design, he says, as things like windshields - "a large and vulnerable piece of glass" - become less necessary. Drivers will be able to sit wherever they'd like in their cars, which could make car interiors more like mobile lounges than like cockpits. The age required to operate a driverless car is likely to drop, he says. There could be an impact on the legal drinking age, as well, as preventing drunk driving was one of the prime justifications for the US-wide setting minimum age to purchase alcohol at 21 years old. There's other possible economic fallout, McLaughlin contends, such as a restructuring of the auto insurance industry, the obsolescence of taxi drivers and lower ratings for drive-time radio programmes. The high-tech security state will also get boost, he writes, as GPS-tagged cars will be easier to track, making life difficult for fugitives and car thieves. Police will also be able to move resources away from operations like traffic enforcement. Of course, he writes, the towns that rely on speed traps to fund their government services will be facing budget shortfalls. Privacy advocates could also get an unexpected boost, he notes, since traffic stops are one of the main justifications for police vehicle searches. Finally, there's the prospect of the as-yet-unrealised futurist dream of flying cars. With computer-controlled vehicles that strictly follow traffic rules, McLaughlin says, "the potential for three-dimensional roads becomes a lot less scary and more a matter of simply solving the technological challenge". Where we're going, we may not need roads after all. |
Posts: 52,209
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#106 |
GDT white noise poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Chonson County
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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. |
Posts: 5,395
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#107 | |
GDT white noise poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Chonson County
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#108 | |
George Brett shit his pants
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: At the Bellagio
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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. |
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#109 |
Constable of Untruths
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Wichita
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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?
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Posts: 15,183
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#110 | |
Kind of a mod
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Donkey Land
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Posts: 52,209
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#111 | |
George Brett shit his pants
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: At the Bellagio
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#112 | |||
NFL's #1 Ermines Fan
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: My house
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I think the key is to get irrational humans to drive less, regardless of how that happens. Quote:
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. |
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#113 |
Hey Loochy, I'm hooome!
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: PooPooKaKaPeePeeShire
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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.
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#114 | |
Constable of Untruths
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Wichita
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Quote:
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." |
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#115 |
Constable of Untruths
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Wichita
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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.
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#116 |
Live free or die hard
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Durango, CO
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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. |
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#117 | |
Supporter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ozarks
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![]() 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. ![]() 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. ![]() Have great day! |
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#118 | |
Supporter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ozarks
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Quote:
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. |
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#119 | |
NFL's #1 Ermines Fan
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: My house
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#120 |
Banded
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Oz
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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.
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