The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars • Hacker News Board

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#121

Post by belorn » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:04 AM UTC

rswail wrote: post #83

bb88 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're not wrong, the NHTSA should be more proactive on this stuff. But to be fair, drunk drivers kill 28 people a day in this country, or about 10k people per year. 3k people die at signalled intersections every year, or around 8ish per day. While Tesla shouldn't be beta testing their self driving cars on public roads, it's clear that human behavior and existing road design is still vastly worse.

The problem is not drunk drivers but incapacitated drivers, whether due to alcohol, drugs, lack of sleep, distractions (mobile phones), etc. The fix is not arbitrary alcohol blood levels, or extending the "War on Drugs", but with standardized, enforced, in-vehicle continuous testing that ensures that the driver is awake, responsive, and in control of the vehicle. That is something where R&D in AI/ML/software to analy…

The problem is neither incapacitated drivers, drunk drivers, drivers without seat belts, cars with bad breaks, car without headlights or any other contributing sources to car crashes. The problem is the car crash. Everything else is just contributing risk that a car crash might occur or that people will get serious injured if there is a car crash. In-vehicle continuous testing will not remove all risks to car crashes, and with drugs as an example, amphetamine makes people both awake and responsive but it also carries a risk of delusions and paranoia which is linked to high risks.

AI/ML/software is know for its high false positive rates, so if it was enforced it would lead to many drivers unable to use the car because of a false positive hit. If it was enforced, then the high risk reduction wouldn't occur before the crash and society in general will want to impose laws to fix that. Car crashes effects more than just the driver, and it not reasonable that so many people die from car crashes each year.

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#122

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:08 AM UTC

novok wrote: post #49

Maursault wrote: post #35

I'd be happy if local and state police just started issuing citations in earnest for misaligned headlights on pickup trucks. 99% of the pickups I come across at night have their low beams pointing straight instead of down at the road. It's so common that it can't be a coincidence that nearly every pickup truck has an illegal headlight configuration. And it isn't due to higher ground clearance, that's just their lame…

American police don't like to really to do pull overs with minor road behavior in general unless they are pulling over for a more serious non-driving thing and they're looking for an excuse to do so. Like in california, nobody is ever, ever ticketed or pulled over for not using turn signals.

[deleted]

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#123

Post by JamesBarney » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:16 AM UTC

wheybags wrote: post #119

prng2021 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes drunk driving is a terrible problem but beta testing software on the open road is not the only option available. It's nothing but irresponsible. Here's one of many: use sensors and AI in the car to detect a drunk person behind the wheel. This is HN so I'm sure readers could spend 10 seconds and think of numerous ways this could be accomplished and many otherideas about what could be done when a drunk driver is de…

No need for fancy sensors and ai - I used an electric scooter rental in Germany recently, and it made me do a reaction speed test on my phone before starting. Super easy.

Are they worried you'll kill someone with your electric scooter?

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#124

Post by JamesBarney » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:19 AM UTC

prng2021 wrote: post #31

bb88 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're not wrong, the NHTSA should be more proactive on this stuff. But to be fair, drunk drivers kill 28 people a day in this country, or about 10k people per year. 3k people die at signalled intersections every year, or around 8ish per day. While Tesla shouldn't be beta testing their self driving cars on public roads, it's clear that human behavior and existing road design is still vastly worse.

Yes drunk driving is a terrible problem but beta testing software on the open road is not the only option available. It's nothing but irresponsible. Here's one of many: use sensors and AI in the car to detect a drunk person behind the wheel. This is HN so I'm sure readers could spend 10 seconds and think of numerous ways this could be accomplished and many otherideas about what could be done when a drunk driver is de…

If it gets us to autonomy 6 months earlier that could easily save 50x as many lives as deaths it's caused.

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#125

Post by RamblingCTO » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:19 AM UTC

prng2021 wrote: post #4

We allow companies like Tesla to jeopardize people's lives while the company beta tests "full self driving" technology, but are scared of allowing proven safe technology like adaptive headlights.

Are you referring to the fact that everyday joe's can use this tech? Otherwise testing self-driving is also legal in the EU (of course with a big process attached and people behind the wheel).

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#126

Post by weberer » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:25 AM UTC

prng2021 wrote: post #4

We allow companies like Tesla to jeopardize people's lives while the company beta tests "full self driving" technology, but are scared of allowing proven safe technology like adaptive headlights.

How do you think something becomes "proven safe" without testing?

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#127

Post by fransje26 » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:27 AM UTC

xani_ wrote: post #60

Oh, oh, do orange turn signals next!

Your comment is underrated my friend.

The last time I encountered a vehicle without orange turn signals was on the autobahn, at night. It was an american military vehicle, and the blinking was so dim, that it looked like a malfunction tail light. I was furious at yet an other idiot who didn't look in his mirrors and just went left without using his indicators, until I realized that he was, in fact, using them. But they were simply of a piss-poor design, unexpected in Europe, and a true safety hazard.

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#128

Post by bobthepanda » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:27 AM UTC

weberer wrote: post #126

prng2021 wrote: post #4

We allow companies like Tesla to jeopardize people's lives while the company beta tests "full self driving" technology, but are scared of allowing proven safe technology like adaptive headlights.

How do you think something becomes "proven safe" without testing?

These have been tested and used in Europe and Japan for the better part of the past two decades.

We don't have to be pioneers at the bleeding edge of testing, but 15+ years? Come on.

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#129

Post by willsmith72 » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:28 AM UTC

JamesBarney wrote: post #123

wheybags wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No need for fancy sensors and ai - I used an electric scooter rental in Germany recently, and it made me do a reaction speed test on my phone before starting. Super easy.

Are they worried you'll kill someone with your electric scooter?

They're worried you'll kill yourself

Re: The US will finally allow adaptive beam headlights on new cars

#130

Post by Broken_Hippo » Mon, Oct 17, 2022, 9:29 AM UTC

JamesBarney wrote: post #123

wheybags wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No need for fancy sensors and ai - I used an electric scooter rental in Germany recently, and it made me do a reaction speed test on my phone before starting. Super easy.

Are they worried you'll kill someone with your electric scooter?

Yes, especially yourself if you aren't wearing a helmet. More commonly, though, the electric scooters cause injuries and accidents. Starting next year, Norway is requiring insurance for them and rental prices will surely increase in response.