UK to allow driverless cars on public roads in January

Post by viraptor » Thu, Jul 31, 2014, 2:06 PM UTC

csomar wrote: post #46

suprgeek wrote: post #17

When ever I see a new place or country allowing a test of these cars this wired article always comes to mind [1]. I think the two main questions will be liability & drivability - 1) when (not if) these cars get into a serious crash, who is to assume liability? Is it Google who created the algorithm? Is it the Audi integrator who fused Google technology into the Audi? Is it the fault of the mapping software that did n…

1) How is this different from cars driven by humans? In my country (no knowledge about other countries), you insure the car, and not the driver. The insurer doesn't care about the driver and shouldn't. 2) I think there should be always an option to drive the car yourself.

Post by viraptor » Thu, Jul 31, 2014, 2:15 PM UTC

bdamm wrote: post #38

purringmeow wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That occupation will disappear, save for a few high-end human driver services, IMO. After the taxis come the trucks. I am quite certain shipping companies will be the quick ditch humans. After all, this means no more travel expenses & salaries, no more breaks, probably automatic unloading too! Goods will get cheaper, although hundreds of thousands of people will be out of work. I am scared.

I seriously doubt that truck drivers are going out of business any time soon. First of all, there's a massive fleet of trucks requiring drivers, and replacement trucks are expensive. Second of all, truck drivers also serve as a security guard. Even if we have self-driving trucks, I imagine they'll have a chaperone for a long time yet. I expect that trucks driven by a human-computer team will be safer than trucks driv…

Post by mpclark » Thu, Jul 31, 2014, 2:52 PM UTC

viraptor wrote: post #100

dm2 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what I assumed but did a quick Google Maps search and it appears to be mostly a grid at first glance, unclear wording, "The UK's roads are quite a different test bed to many West coast US cities where there is no grid pattern, roads are smaller, and curvey."

This isn't an uncommon view once you get off the motorway and drive to towns: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.366804,-2.602688,3a,75y,24... Two wide cars can't pass there, one of you has to go back to a place without the hedge. I'd like to see how that kind of negotiation is handled by self-driving cars.

Post by 7952 » Thu, Jul 31, 2014, 3:48 PM UTC

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #101

7952 wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Salisbury had a grid pattern back in the 13th century. But mostly small roads follow old field boundaries that can be very old and bendy. Even new developments will fit into old field layouts and have curved roads.

>* But mostly small roads follow old field boundaries that can be very old and bendy.* // The places I know of - Lincolnshire and East Lothian - where roads follow field boundaries have a lot of straight roads with 90deg bends. Interesting you suggest that field boundary following would make roads more "bendy" (suggesting non-straight edges and non right-angles). Perhaps the fields of Salisbury weren't dissected for…

Post by DanBC » Thu, Jul 31, 2014, 3:57 PM UTC

viraptor wrote: post #100

dm2 wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's what I assumed but did a quick Google Maps search and it appears to be mostly a grid at first glance, unclear wording, "The UK's roads are quite a different test bed to many West coast US cities where there is no grid pattern, roads are smaller, and curvey."

This isn't an uncommon view once you get off the motorway and drive to towns: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.366804,-2.602688,3a,75y,24... Two wide cars can't pass there, one of you has to go back to a place without the hedge. I'd like to see how that kind of negotiation is handled by self-driving cars.