Driverless cars... how far off are they now?

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#1987335 2-Apr-2018 21:47

bmt:

So a hypothetical one-off situation where there's no way a self-driving car could react in the way it would need to, and a human could, is FAR more important than improving the overall driving experience, reducing travel times, road deaths etc? The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many?

A self-driving car can't beat a carjacker, so ban them all! To hell with any of the benefits.

Definitely Mike Hosking thinking.

Agree, plus I cannot picture a scenario where a human reacts better

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Batman

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#1987352 2-Apr-2018 22:47

bmt:

So a hypothetical one-off situation where there's no way a self-driving car could react in the way it would need to, and a human could, is FAR more important than improving the overall driving experience, reducing travel times, road deaths etc? The needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many?

A self-driving car can't beat a carjacker, so ban them all! To hell with any of the benefits.

Definitely Mike Hosking thinking.

AFAIK you are the first poster on this thread to suggest a ban on any self drive cars

PhantomNVD

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#1987357 2-Apr-2018 23:26

Pretty sure he was being sarcastic and suggesting that was what YOU were alluding to @batman

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#1987363 2-Apr-2018 23:54

PhantomNVD: Pretty sure he was being sarcastic and suggesting that was what YOU were alluding to @batman

and what was I alluding to?

First it's hypothetical.

Then it's real but still hypothetical.

Then words get put in my mouth and I get called names.

I am awaiting for what comes next ... getting my popcorn ready.

PhantomNVD

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#1987432 3-Apr-2018 09:36

Batman:
As long as my body is able, Ima control my own car as much as possible thank you very much.

Receiving you... loud and clear 👍

Personally, I can’t wait till I can sit reading a book on my 3 1/2 hour trip across Akl up to the rellies in Whangerei, or down to Rotorua etc... family holidays are stressful enough without SWMBO critiquing my driving too 😉

PhantomNVD

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#1988216 4-Apr-2018 14:13

https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/102760031/is-100-kmh-too-fast-landmark-report-wants-70-kmh-open-road-speed-limit

Time for the Driverless cars is NOW... imagine adding 30% time to all your travel just so you can drive yourself...? They ARE actually imagining this already 🤪

FireEngine

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#1988218 4-Apr-2018 14:19

PhantomNVD: https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/102760031/is-100-kmh-too-fast-landmark-report-wants-70-kmh-open-road-speed-limit

Time for the Driverless cars is NOW... imagine adding 30% time to all your travel just so you can drive yourself...? They ARE actually imagining this already 🤪

About time they grasped the fact that a safe driver is safe on a bad road, an unsafe driver is unsafe on ANY road. Median barriers don't prevent accidents, they just contain it to the same carriageway direction - which may or may not affect the outcome. It won't stop the idiot on the Northwestern this morning who attempted to use the on-ramp as an overtaking lane...with a maximum benefit of one car gain in 70km/h traffic!!!

Regards FireEngine

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#1988249 4-Apr-2018 15:35

PhantomNVD: https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/102760031/is-100-kmh-too-fast-landmark-report-wants-70-kmh-open-road-speed-limit

Time for the Driverless cars is NOW... imagine adding 30% time to all your travel just so you can drive yourself...? They ARE actually imagining this already 🤪

So that random people can be killed off?

frankv

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#1988270 4-Apr-2018 16:01

PhantomNVD: https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/102760031/is-100-kmh-too-fast-landmark-report-wants-70-kmh-open-road-speed-limit

Time for the Driverless cars is NOW... imagine adding 30% time to all your travel just so you can drive yourself...? They ARE actually imagining this already 🤪

Driverless cars don't do well on roads that aren't well-marked. I don't see that driverless cars would be safe on most NZ roads at 70kph, let alone 100kph.

FireEngine:

About time they grasped the fact that a safe driver is safe on a bad road, an unsafe driver is unsafe on ANY road. Median barriers don't prevent accidents, they just contain it to the same carriageway direction - which may or may not affect the outcome.

I think it's been conclusively shown that median barriers *do* at least limit the consequences of accidents, even if they don't prevent them entirely.

It won't stop the idiot on the Northwestern this morning who attempted to use the on-ramp as an overtaking lane...with a maximum benefit of one car gain in 70km/h traffic!!!

Right... so apparently 70kph isn't safe even on a motorway.

happyfunball

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#1988273 4-Apr-2018 16:08

I think its pretty optimistic to believe self-driving cars will hit NZ anytime soon, at least not driverless ones. You have to remember that NZ is unique in having no emission standards, so very old Japanese cars are perfectly legal to run forever. Just stick a minimum wage driver in there ($20/hr soon) + petrol (no mandatory insurance in NZ either) and you have a perfectly good neural net driven delivery platform. In California this is much more expensive; newish car + insurance + driver.

But in other countries, such as the US, its very close to reality. Well mapped out pre-defined routes will be driverless first, and it will bring down the cost of being driven quite a bit.

What we will see in NZ pretty soon is very good cruise control in new model cars, which will keep you in traffic, stop and go for you, and stay in your lane on the highway. As the technology becomes accepted more, waymo and others will come and carefully map out zones that compatible cars can go autonomous in.

Thats my 2¢ anyway :)

FireEngine

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#1988277 4-Apr-2018 16:17

frankv:

PhantomNVD: https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/102760031/is-100-kmh-too-fast-landmark-report-wants-70-kmh-open-road-speed-limit

Time for the Driverless cars is NOW... imagine adding 30% time to all your travel just so you can drive yourself...? They ARE actually imagining this already 🤪

Driverless cars don't do well on roads that aren't well-marked. I don't see that driverless cars would be safe on most NZ roads at 70kph, let alone 100kph.

FireEngine:

About time they grasped the fact that a safe driver is safe on a bad road, an unsafe driver is unsafe on ANY road. Median barriers don't prevent accidents, they just contain it to the same carriageway direction - which may or may not affect the outcome.

I think it's been conclusively shown that median barriers *do* at least limit the consequences of accidents, even if they don't prevent them entirely.

It won't stop the idiot on the Northwestern this morning who attempted to use the on-ramp as an overtaking lane...with a maximum benefit of one car gain in 70km/h traffic!!!

Right... so apparently 70kph isn't safe even on a motorway.

Indeed, unsafe driving practice is unsafe on any road and potentially at any speed.

Regards FireEngine

happyfunball

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#1988279 4-Apr-2018 16:21

PhantomNVD: https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/102760031/is-100-kmh-too-fast-landmark-report-wants-70-kmh-open-road-speed-limit

Time for the Driverless cars is NOW... imagine adding 30% time to all your travel just so you can drive yourself...? They ARE actually imagining this already 🤪

Its perfectly reasonable to lower speeds, but you could do that just by enforcing the speed limit properly. Automatic speed cameras do this very well, but people hate them.

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#1988296 4-Apr-2018 16:50

Weren't they talking about raising the speed limit the other week?

Thing is, you can find any evidence to back up whatever your agenda is.

gzt

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#1988300 4-Apr-2018 16:58

happyfunball: But in other countries, such as the US, its very close to reality.

It is a daily reality for selected Google Waymo family trial participants in Arizona. Waymo are a long long way ahead..

djtOtago

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#1991932 9-Apr-2018 12:08

It would be interesting to see a self driving car meet an oncoming stock truck on Danseys Pass road. One of them will need to back up to a wider part so they can pass. And it wont be the stock truck.:)

I can see the technology working in cities one day, but out on NZ rural roads and high ways, there are just too many oddities.
Stock being mustered down the road.
The slow moving quad bike, tractor, other machinery that is half on, half off the road.
One lane bridges, Road works, Road works with stop / go flag person. The road that is only 1.5 lanes wide with no road markings. The corner you know you need to give extra room to the oncoming logging truck.
Shingle / Gravel roads in general. (There are still stability / traction control systems today that don't work on gravel correctly)
A Ford.(The water type) The shaded corner you know is likely to have ice. To name a few.

There are a lot of hazards that a lot of NZ people experience in every day driving life, but are vary rear in other countries, And it is people in these countries that write the software.

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