Do you feel safer with self-driving cars on the road?

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

As a AI programmer, among other things, I know the limitations of the technology. So I vote No to this question. For one thing, safe driving demands being able to think ahead and anticipate situations which sensors do not pick up.

 

[Orodruin]

For one thing, safe driving demands being able to think ahead and anticipate situations which sensors do not pick up.

Which unfortunately many human drivers do not pick up either ... The question needs to be answered not only taking the AI into account, but also the capabilities of the typical human driver. For example, an AI will never drink and drive or tire during a long journey.

 

[jackwhirl]

Responding to the question strictly as asked, I've voted no.
Self-driving cars are still too small a fraction of cars on the road to improve my safety.

I eagerly await their widespread adoption.
It is only a matter of time.

 

[Nugatory]

The poll asks about feeling safer. That's not the same thing as being safer.

 

[russ_watters]

The poll asks about feeling safer. That's not the same thing as being safer.

That depends on how logical the person responding is.

I answered yes because statistically you are generally safer with self-driving cars on the road (replacing drivers), but there are conditions where it is safer and other conditions where it is less safe to be around a self-driving car. And the differences and uncertainty are - for the less logical - causes of negative feelings.

 

[stoomart]

Responding to the question strictly as asked, I've voted no.
Self-driving cars are still too small a fraction of cars on the road to improve my safety.

I eagerly await their widespread adoption.
It is only a matter of time.

I agree and would answer "Not yet". AI can't help you when a drunk/texting driver blows through a stop light and t-bones you. I would feel safer if all cars were computer operated (unlikely to happen in my lifetime).

 

[Posy McPostface]

Well, the positive is that freeways have nowhere near as many signs, that often throw off self-driving cars, as do streets. And, if I'm right about the statistics, most people who die from car crashes have accidents that take place on freeways (high-speed collisions), where self-driving cars do best.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Do I trust them now? Heck no. I won't be on board first or second generation, but third generation I'm all in baby! Can't wait to push that button and take a nap.

 

[rootone]

Yeah, I want one of those things that look like a door, then you press the button and put your PIN into it and then arrive where you want in no time at all.
I voted no becuz there are crazy feckers out there, wantin' ta rob you identity and that

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

True. But whether we will actually be safer depends on many factors, not just the cars themselves. They are part of a system. Meanwhile I am curious how people react to the idea of self driving cars.

In my case I've avoided several accidents over the last few years by thinking ahead and taking what I know about human behavior into account. I'm thinking specifically about avoiding running into pedestrians, including children or drunk people who are not watching out for themselves. I'm talking about some very complex situations in crowded areas, or situations where people can't be seen until they jump out in front of you.

Of course, it's theoretically possible to set up a system in which the only driving situations allowed are those the self-driving cars could cope with. Maybe not going quite as controlled as the Disneyland Autopia, but maybe not far from that.

The poll asks about feeling safer. That's not the same thing as being safer.

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

Me too. Actually I want a Tardis.

Yeah, I want one of those things that look like a door, then you press the button and put your PIN into it and then arrive where you want in no time at all.

 

[rootone]

Me too. Actually I want a Tardis.

Yeah, a good model, but the best one is the elevator in hitch hikers guide to the galaxy.
Don't forget your towel though.

 

[jedishrfu]

Do I trust them now? Heck no. I won't be on board first or second generation, but third generation I'm all in baby! Can't wait to push that button and take a nap.

You can always get one of those kids beds that look like a sports car until the third gen comes along.

It's self driving at least I don't see a steering wheel, brakes or seat belts.

 

[jedishrfu]

I would vote yes but like Greg would wait for the third generation as early pioneers often receive lots more arrows.

 

[NFuller]

In my case I've avoided several accidents over the last few years by thinking ahead and taking what I know about human behavior into account. I'm thinking specifically about avoiding running into pedestrians, including children or drunk people who are not watching out for themselves. I'm talking about some very complex situations in crowded areas, or situations where people can't be seen until they jump out in front of you.

I imagine the developers of self driving cars are well aware of issues like this. I feel like this would be a good application of machine learning.

I voted yes because I think a lot of us overestimate our abilities. Driving often involves a lot of mundane tasks performed repeatedly with occasional sudden reactions to avoid an accident. This is something people are incredibly bad at but computers are better at. They can perform a task over and over again then switch to a different task without hesitation.

This will certainty be difficult to program since there are so many ways things can go wrong on the road, but I imagine it won't be long before computers become statistically much better drivers than humans.

 

[OCR]

You can always get...

Lol, back in my day, they were real... and we called them "sleepers" .

And if you didn't have one, when you really did go to sleep, you still dreamed about... having one .

 

[256bits]

I voted No.
- I feel as safe as I will ever feel, like most people I do not get into a car expecting to be in an accident ( same for a bus, plane, train, bicycle, walking, etc )
- sensors will foul up under adverse conditions, or electrical mechanical failure, drivers will ( have to ) revert to manual override ( or will the car stop in the middle of the road ). Imagine an operator going manual with no experience behind the wheel - what's this button do? Or the car shutting down in the middle of nowhere - check the service manual ie your screwed.
- snow, sleet, rain, mud, black ice, locust swarm - self driving will perform better than some drivers, and worse than others. Where on the curve of 'defensive' driving will it be.
- I still have to fill up with gas, clean the windshield, ( windscreen in Britain ), check the oil, check the tires, check the headlights, tail lights, and running lights,and get a 50 point inspection - some of which I may or may not do already. Self driving won't make me have instantly a better vehicle maintenance intelligence so that a safe car is on the road.

One safer area, I think, is mishaps with a pedestrian. I would say that most drivers behind the wheel look for cars to evade. A self driving unit would check for cars, and we hope, people, and other things. Ever see the video of people tossing a basketball between themselves? At the end, the question comes up: Did you see the guy in the monkey suit strolling across. Human viewers in a majority miss the monkey suit.

 

[jack action]

Do you feel safer with:

• disc brakes instead of drums;
• seat belts;
• glass laminated windshields;
• air bags;
• energy-absorbing crumple zones;
• ABS brakes.

If you think you need driverless vehicles to feel safer than it is now, you probably will never feel safe.

Personally, the only thing that made a notable difference in safety in my lifetime is the major improvement in tire construction. Today's tires stick to road a lot better than they used to and that is the only thing that really makes me feel safer.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Personally, the only thing that made a notable difference in safety in my lifetime is the major improvement in tire construction. Today's tires stick to road a lot better than they used to and that is the only thing that really makes me feel safer.

I'm sure there are types of crashes where we are much safer, but at the end of the day nothings going to save you from a pickup t-boning you driver side.

 

[lewando]

The demand for safe, self driving vehicles will be triggered by the promise of reduced liability insurance rates. Safety will also be improved by the same promise. So if the question is forward-looking I would say yes, if present-looking, no. Since I cannot tell, no opinion.

 

[Frenemy90210]

About thinking ahead : Human can recognize drunk people attempting to cross the road, the machine cant.

 

[UWouldKnow]

On average people get in a crash about once every 100,000 miles and Google's self driving cars have driven over 3 million miles and that's in the city, I agree that I would trust myself with my life more than a computer but this ideology is going to delay the self driving car movement. We should be optimistic for self driving cars because imagine if our roads were filled with self driving cars, it would save lives, help with traffic, and help the movement of electric cars which would help the world move away from oil. As far as coding limitations? I haven't seen anyone talk about limitations of coding, the coding seems fairly simple and a computer can make millions of decisions in a matter of seconds, personally the only crashes I've been in could have been avoided with a self driving car

 

[Orodruin]

the only crashes I've been in could have been avoided with a self driving car

I can add one to that statistic. The only accident I was involved in I was standing still behind another car entering a parking. Apparently they changed their mind and decided to back out of the parking. The very young driver had trusted his friends saying "all clear". A self driving car would not have done that.

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Yes I do feel kind of safe, and I do want to kind of want to trust them, but I will feel a lot safer and almost trust them completely when/if, perhaps in the near future (by 2020 or so), as part of the internet of things, all(?) cars will be self-driving and controlled/coordinated via a superfast 5G mobile net, to avoid all accidents (in highways, city and rural roads etc.) ...

 

[256bits]

Hacking a self driving automobile. I wonder what the chances of that ever happening someday would be. Of course no one would ever want to do that. Right.

Or a kill switch, such as what leasing companies already have adopted.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index....isable_cars_when_borrowers_miss_payments.html

 

[jack action]

Am I the only one who likes driving?

I really don't find that appealing this future that some are trying to sell where I'll be sitting in a box that moves me around. What the the heck is the point to live if I'm just a piece of meat that gets to be moved around?

I like making decisions for myself on a daily basis (with all the quirks that comes with it), that is what makes me feel alive. I really dislike this tangent society is taking where apparently everyone else - and now everything else - knows what's best for me. Why would I need to do anything at all, then? What will become my motivation of getting up in the morning?

(Sorry if this goes slightly off topic).

 

[chris4542]

Which unfortunately many human drivers do not pick up either ... The question needs to be answered not only taking the AI into account, but also the capabilities of the typical human driver. For example, an AI will never drink and drive or tire during a long journey.

 

[Orodruin]

Am I the only one who likes driving?

I really don't find that appealing this future that some are trying to sell where I'll be sitting in a box that moves me around. What the the heck is the point to live if I'm just a piece of meat that gets to be moved around?

But the question was not whether or not you would like having a self-driving car, the question was whether or not you feel safer.

 

[jack action]

But the question was not whether or not you would like having a self-driving car, the question was whether or not you feel safer.

I know and I apologized for it. Statistically, are driverless vehicles safer? Without being an expert on the subject, I'm pretty sure they are, i.e. less death and injuries. Do I feel safer? No, because I already feel safe. Even with the actual 1-2% chance that I will die into a car accident. There are still twice as many people dying because of work related accidents (traffic accidents, work accidents).

The best way to avoid death and injuries is to put people into cages, like zoo animals. But is this a desired outcome? Doesn't it come with other disadvantages? Going towards the driverless vehicles sure makes me feel like being put in a cage, with others caring for me, and that worries me on the other impacts that seem to be overlooked. So the «safe» feeling is really not achieved for my part, just not related to death and injuries point of view.

But maybe some will find I go too far in my thinking.

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Am I the only one who likes driving?

I really don't find that appealing this future that some are trying to sell where I'll be sitting in a box that moves me around. What the the heck is the point to live if I'm just a piece of meat that gets to be moved around?

You've never been a passenger? You pilot your own plane too? I like all kinds of travelling. Driving is only part ... for most of us anyway. See my point?