[ennui2]

And Pstarr follows with the snark! Right on cue! Must...not...disrupt...luddite cries of "when technology fails".

[vox_mundi]

... The fact is the biggest cause of deaths in accidents is people. Drunk drivers, distracted drivers, just plain bad drivers. I've become convinced that self-driving features will save a ton more lives than they'll take via Sophie's Choice situations. If every car had auto-braking and just that, rear-enders would pretty much disappear, for instance.

Agreed. Self-Driving Cars are safer than humans

Tesla Auto-pilot safety record: 0.8 death per 100,000,000 miles
Human safety record: 1.3 death per 100,000,000 miles

The number to look at is injuries.

In 2010–2011, there were an estimated 3.9 million annual average ED visits for motor vehicle traffic injuries.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db185.htm

10 million self-driving cars will be on the road by 2020

In an in-depth report from BI Intelligence, we analyze the self-driving car market by analyzing the current state of the self-driving car and provide an in-depth analysis for how we see the self-driving car progressing over the next five years. Our in-depth analysis describes the economic impact that self-driving cars can have and look at the current barriers preventing the self-driving car from coming to market.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

- Self-driving cars are not some futuristic auto technology; in fact there are already cars with self-driving features on the road. We define the self-driving car as any car with features that allow it to accelerate, brake, and steer a car's course with limited or no driver interaction.

- We divide the self-driving car into two different types: semi-autonomous and fully autonomous. A fully autonomous vehicle can drive from point A to point B and encounter the entire range of on-road scenarios without needing any interaction from the driver. These will debut in 2019.

- By the end of the forecast period, we expect there will be nearly 10 million cars with one of our defined self-driving car features.

- Fully autonomous cars are further divided into user-operated and driverless vehicles. Because of regulatory and insurance questions, user-operated fully autonomous cars will come to market within the next five years, while driverless cars will remain a long ways off.

- The biggest benefits of self-driving cars are that they will help to make roads safer and people's lives easier. In the UK, KPMG estimates that self-driving cars will lead to 2,500 fewer deaths between 2014 and 2030.

- But the barriers to self-driving cars remain significant. Costs need to come down and regulations need to be clarified around certain self-driving car features before the vehicles fully take off among mainstream consumers.

Self-driving cars: from 2020 you will become a permanent backseat driver

BMW to deliver self-driving car by 2021

IBM Watson Enters Self-Driving Vehicle Space Via the World’s First Autonomous Talking Electric Shuttle

In mid-June, Local Motors, the leading vehicle technology integrator and creator of the world's first 3D-printed car, introduced the first self-driving vehicle to integrate the advanced cognitive computing capabilities of IBM's Artificial Intelligence Watson



Olli was unveiled and demonstrated during the June 16 grand opening of Local Motors' facility in National Harbor, MD, a resort destination just sound of Washington, D.C. The EV, which can carry up to 12 people, is equipped with advanced vehicle technology, including IBM Watson Internet of Things (IoT) for Automotive, to improve the passenger experience and allow natural interaction with the vehicle.

Olli has been cruising public roads in D.C. at select times since its unveiling. Local Motors, which is currently producing additional Ollis at its headquarters near Phoenix, aims to have 30 vehicles on the streets of the nation's capital by Christmas, according to CEO and co-founder Jay Rogers, Jr. Public road testing of driverless autos is legal in D.C. and in eight U.S. states: California, Michigan, Florida, Nevada, Arizona, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Utah.

While Olli was only recently officially introduced, cities all over the world have expressed interest in putting the smart self-driving EV to use on their public roads. Local Motors sold 10 vehicles during the grand opening. By the end of the year, there will also be Ollis in Miami, Florida; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Las Vegas, Nevada, among other unnamed cities.

Olli went from concept to completion in three months, illustrating Local Motors' production speed advantage over traditional automakers. The privately held company envisions having hundreds of microfactories all over the world where it can quickly produce crowd-sourced vehicles of various types.

[SeaGypsy]

ennui . . . still compelled to defend so-called autonomous automobiles. When the damn things are not capable of distinguishing a child from a crumpled plastic garbage bag blowing in the wind. Or drive in the night. Or in the rain.

your smug self-deception is laughable.

A Roadsters on auto pilot killed itself & owner couple of days back, didn't see a truck.

[vtsnowedin]

ennui . . . still compelled to defend so-called autonomous automobiles. When the damn things are not capable of distinguishing a child from a crumpled plastic garbage bag blowing in the wind. Or drive in the night. Or in the rain.

your smug self-deception is laughable.

A Roadsters on auto pilot killed itself & owner couple of days back, didn't see a truck.

I saw the video of that today on Fox news. Apparently the robot guidance system didn't see a white truck in bright sunlight. Makes me wonder how well they will do in a snow storm. I thought these things used radars to see what is around them but perhaps not.
It would be nice to come out from a evening dinner with a full bottle of good wine done justice to and be able to tell your car "Home James" and sit back and not worry about accidents or the cops.

[Plantagenet]

Apparently the robot guidance system didn't see a white truck in bright sunlight. Makes me wonder how well they will do in a snow storm. I thought these things used radars to see what is around them but perhaps not. .

The Tesla "S" did have radar but Tesla designed things so poorly that the radar was incapable of detecting a giant truck + trailer.

The Tesla autopilot drove the car into the truck at full speed, killing the driver.

[vox_mundi]

Tesla’s own Autopilot warnings outlined deadly crash scenario

... Tesla's Autopilot is not a fully self-driving system anyway — it's generally considered Level 2 on NHTSA's 0-4 scale of autonomy. At Level 2, there's still a lot that the driver is still responsible for, which is really laid bare in an unusually long series of warnings printed in the Model S owner's manual:

Warning: Do not depend on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to adequately and appropriately slow down Model S. Always watch the road in front of you and stay prepared to brake at all times. Traffic-Aware Cruise Control does not eliminate the need to apply the brakes as needed, even at slow speeds.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control can not detect all objects and may not detect a stationary vehicle or other object in the lane of travel. There may be situations in which Traffic-Aware Cruise Control does not detect a vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian. Depending on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to avoid a collision can result in serious injury or death.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may react to vehicles or objects that either do not exist or are not in the lane of travel, causing Model S to slow down unnecessarily or inappropriately.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may misjudge the distance from a vehicle ahead. Always watch the road in front of you. It is the driver's responsibility to maintain a safe distance from a vehicle ahead of you.
Warning: When you enable Traffic-Aware Cruise Control in a situation where you are closely following the vehicle in front of you, Model S may apply the brakes to maintain the selected distance.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control has limited deceleration ability and may be unable to apply enough braking to avoid a collision if a vehicle in front slows suddenly, or if a vehicle enters your driving lane in front of you. Never depend on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to slow down the vehicle enough to prevent a collision. Always keep your eyes on the road when driving and be prepared to take corrective action as needed. Depending on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to slow the vehicle down enough to prevent a collision can result in serious injury or death.
Warning: Driving downhill can increase driving speed, causing Model S to exceed your set speed. Hills can also make it more difficult for Model S to slow down enough to maintain the chosen following distance from the vehicle ahead.
Warning: Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may occasionally brake Model S when not required based on the distance from a vehicle ahead. This can be caused by vehicles in adjacent lanes (especially on curves), or by stationary objects.

Several of these warnings apply directly to the situation apparently faced by the driver in this crash. "There may be situations in which Traffic-Aware Cruise Control does not detect a vehicle, bicycle, or pedestrian. Depending on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to avoid a collision can result in serious injury or death," it reads. In the incident, Tesla says that Autopilot failed to see the "white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky," as did the driver.

Later, more warnings in the manual caution that "bright light" can cause problems, and that "Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may not slow down or may brake or accelerate Model S inappropriately":

Traffic-Aware Cruise Control is particularly unlikely to operate as intended in the following types of situations:
- The road has sharp curves.
- Visibility is poor (due to heavy rain, snow, fog, etc.).
- Bright light (oncoming headlights or direct sunlight) is interfering with the camera's view.
- The radar sensor in the center of the front grill is obstructed (dirty, covered, etc.).
- The windshield area in the camera's field of view is obstructed (fogged over, dirty, covered by a sticker, etc.).
Caution: If your Model S is equipped with Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, you must take your vehicle to Tesla Service if a windshield replacement is needed. Failure to do so can cause Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to malfunction.
Warning: Many unforeseen circumstances can impair the operation of Traffic-Aware Cruise Control. Always keep this in mind and remember that as a result, Traffic-Aware Cruise Control may not slow down or may brake or accelerate Model S inappropriately. Always drive attentively and be prepared to take immediate action.
Warning: Traffic-aware cruise control may not brake/decelerate for stationary vehicles, especially in situations when you are driving over 50 mph (80 km/h) and a vehicle you are following moves out of your driving path and a stationary vehicle or object is in front of you instead. Always pay attention to the road ahead and stay prepared to take immediate corrective action. Depending on Traffic-Aware Cruise Control to avoid a collision can result in serious injury or death.

Inside the Self-Driving Tesla Fatal Accident

Definetly NOT an Open-Casket funeral

[Sys1]

Note that just one terrorist could use several auto-driving cars just like self-guided missiles. It could be very efficient : imagine just 3 of those road-missiles full of TNT hitting simultaneously in a crowded place... It would required a relative low investment for large casualties.

[vox_mundi]

You just keep thinkin', Butch. That's what you're good at. - Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969)

[vox_mundi]

?

[vox_mundi]

Driverless car insurance has arrived

With our launch of the UK’s first personal driverless car insurance policy, the discussion around who or what is liable in the event of a collision will, we hope, take a new and interesting step forward.

We’ve designed this policy for people who may have driverless or autonomous features in their existing car, or who may be thinking of buying a new car with driverless or autopilot features such as Tesla’s forthcoming Model 3.

In most respects it resembles a typical car insurance policy – it covers all the usual things – but has some extra points relating to driverless technology including:

You’re covered for loss or damage if:

- Updates or security patches for things like the driverless operating system, firewalls, electronic mapping and journey planning systems haven’t been successfully installed in the vehicle within 24 hours of the owner being notified by the manufacturer or software provider – subject to an additional policy excess;
- There are satellite failure/outages that affect the navigation systems, or if the manufacturer’s operating system fails or other authorised software fails;
- Caused by failing when able to use manual override to avoid a collision or accident in the event of operating system, navigation system or mechanical failure;
- Your car gets hacked or an attempted hack results in loss or damage.

Who is liable in the event of an accident or collision?

This is the 64-million-dollar question! In terms of deciding who or what is responsible if there’s an accident or collision, this will depend on a number of factors, as it would for existing cars: the condition of the car, the driver’s awareness and abilities at the time, road conditions, other vehicles or people involved and so on.

If, for instance, the car’s driverless technology or its supporting systems are shown to have failed or caused some other disruption resulting in an accident, collision or other type of damage, the driver may not bear any responsibility.

The way we’ve designed our driverless car policy means that the driver will always need to be able to take control of the car at any point in their journey. So a driver couldn’t turn on the autopilot and have a nap at the wheel.

The owner will always need to maintain their car, as they would any other vehicle. They’ll need to make sure any updates from manufacturers or other relevant parties are promptly installed, although they’ll be covered if that isn’t the case for the first 24 hours.

[ennui2]

BTW, here is the status quo for you as far as your chance of dying in a car crash, ya know, with regular cars.

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/201 ... ash-deaths

As usual, 'Murica stores poorly.

[Outcast_Searcher]

Driverless car insurance has arrived

The way we’ve designed our driverless car policy means that the driver will always need to be able to take control of the car at any point in their journey. So a driver couldn’t turn on the autopilot and have a nap at the wheel.

So this is insurance for driver assistance features, not true fully autonomous cars. This is a problem I am seeing all over the place since researching things due to the recent fatal Tesla crash -- people are using very loose terminology in articles and in marketing.

The owner will always need to maintain their car, as they would any other vehicle. They’ll need to make sure any updates from manufacturers or other relevant parties are promptly installed, although they’ll be covered if that isn’t the case for the first 24 hours.

I smell a rat here. So if there is a technology problem from a car manufacturer and a normal car owner doesn't even know about an update, now the insurance doesn't pay. Regulators will need to have rules in place to keep insurance companies and their lawyers from playing this sort of game -- or only allow it if the driver can be proven to have suppressed updates.

[ennui2]

ennui, you seem to be stuck with an old ICE? What was that? A 2001 Civic. Sweet ride . . . if you are headed to the unemployment office.

I already explained I drive a Mazda several times here. Your reading comprehension is just as acute as your ability to detect your broken avatar image.

[ennui2]

Saw this ad on TV last night. It's inevitable, not dependent solely on Tesla. It also does not necessarily mean EVs. Autonomy doesn't require an EV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NTozjZG59Y

[ennui2]

Mr. Starr, you have about as much qualifications to predict the likelihood of a given technology taking off as an Amish. You with your redwood curtain and your virulent anti-tech anti-suburbia bias. So why don't you keep your 2c to yourself?