New GM Bolt has no steering wheel or pedals. (Like it or not, it's gonna happen.)

[RoryN]

They'll be loosening laws around these cars soon. Too much money at stake to keep them down.

So, what say you? Here's a few of my thoughts:

PRO:

*Johnny Drunk Driver, Betty Dumbass Distracted Driver, and Billy Overall Shitty Driver will *gradually* not be much of a problem anymore. (You can at least - and should - partially blame them for the advent of these cars, BTW) Fewer deaths. Opponents of these cars will use initial death count to decry them; red herrings. Most humans suck at driving, period. They're the problem when it comes to others dying.

*Some of your life will return to you during commuting hours. Get into your car and go home, inebriated (eventually). Send your car for groceries, or anything else. The elderly get their independence back (something a lot of people don't think about, but Google did - the elderly were the first people shown driving in their autonomous vehicles).

CONS:

The big one: say goodbye to any privacy or ownership of your personal info you have left. Car companies are going to own every bit of info about you and your habits when you start using these cars. It'll make them more money than the hardware.

Hacked networks. I'm sure emergency mode will be "all cars pull over", but that's still mayhem.

How will insurance work?

What restrictions will subsequently be placed on the cars we love to drive ourselves?

 

[William_James]

Give it a generation - or less - and self-driving will seem anachronistic.

 

[RoryN]

Give it a generation - or less - and self-driving will seem anachronistic.

Agreed. And I'll take the "or less" bet on that one.

 

[Sean]

I never considered the insurance question. Of course the insurers will increase premiums. Because insurance companies are cunts.

 

[Aglaopheme]

The biggest con is see is when the cars do malfunction, and they will. Who will be held liable?

 

[Saint Peter]

Necessary but boring.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Driving will soon be a rich guys sport and a highly regulated “skilled” trade you need a degree to enter into.

We wouldn’t need to go down this road if we startd yanking the licences of shitty drivers insted of using our licenseing system as just another pay to play revenue generator.

Another wonderful freedom shit on to accommodate hordes of total fucking idiots.

 

[RoryN]

The biggest con is see is when the cars do malfunction, and they will. Who will be held liable?

Yes.

Overall, I trust the autonomous vehicle over the human - humans are worse drivers. But liability is a huge issue for the robot car.

Necessary but boring.

Boring drive, yes, You could set the interior of your Honda up like a disco lounge with wrap-around limo seating, though...

We wouldn’t need to go down this road if we startd yanking the licences of shitty drivers insted of using our licenseing system as just another pay to play revenue generator.

Maybe, but this was going to happen anyway because $$.

 

[RoryN]

I never considered the insurance question. Of course the insurers will increase premiums. Because insurance companies are cunts.

They'll use nice language to justify it, though.

 

[Saint Peter]

Rule following, polite cars. Cars merging one at a time, in order and without horns and fingers. Perfect full stop stops.



Fuck that.

 

[Sean]

I can't wait for the inevitable software glitch that routes a shitload of 40ft trucks down tiny little lanes and under 10ft high bridges.

 

[RoryN]

Rule following, polite cars. Cars merging one at a time, in order and without horns and fingers. Perfect full stop stops.



Fuck that.

"Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott plays in the background...

 

[spacekowboy]

Fuck them. I'll still have my jeep.

 

[thør]

Rule following, polite cars. Cars merging one at a time, in order and without horns and fingers. Perfect full stop stops.



Fuck that.

When autonomous cars can safely travel the streets of Kathmandu, I will buy one.

 

[RoryN]

Fuck them. I'll still have my jeep.

Sure. But the rest of your life will be greatly affected by autonomous cars, even if you don't drive amongst them.

 

[Comshaw]

Driving will soon be a rich guys sport and a highly regulated “skilled” trade you need a degree to enter into.

We wouldn’t need to go down this road if we startd yanking the licences of shitty drivers insted of using our licenseing system as just another pay to play revenue generator.

Another wonderful freedom shit on to accommodate hordes of total fucking idiots.

"Libertarian" my ass.


Comshaw

 

[Hypoxia]

Autonomous vehicles rolling in my remote mountain hamlet had best not depend on Garmin or Magellan GPS; they'll be routed along impossible paths. Who gets sued when a driverless semi plunges through a house where it 'thinks' there's a road? Any vehicle smaller than an SUV or larger than a delivery van following GPS directions to my house will be torn apart by our rough 'official' track.

And the neighbor's dogs will leap through your open window, but that's another issue.

Autonomous vehicles may be fine for city and suburban folks on manicured roadways. If we lived in such crowded surroundings we'd also want to be driven rather than suffer the bother. Home, Jeeves! But that's not an option outside population and flatlands. A guy driving to our house was GPS-guided to a forest campground forty mountain miles away instead. Oy.

As for vehicle insurers being cunts: I was one, an entry-level software engineer tweaking automobile rating applications. Wasn't much room for cuntiness between the corporate actuaries and the state regulators. For cunts, try health insurance.

 

[Worm]

I welcome my robot designated driver.

 

[BotanyBoy]

"Libertarian" my ass.


Comshaw

When did I claim to be a libertarian??

Liberal.....actual, dictionary/textbook type. Not the basic socialist hiding behind a lable that might fool you into thinking they might be something other than collectivist trying tonget into others pockets type “liberal” dems pretend not to be.

 

[someoneyouknow]

Since I don't buy shit cars from American manufacturers, this neither interests or concerns me.