Will there be a point where human-driven cars become a thing of the past?

[bomberfox]

They already have a much better safety record than human drivers.

In reality especially with Teslas thats not really so. The damn things have actually taken the no lane change ability away and change lanes more often than the typical driver in dayton which is pretty horrible.

 

[LittleNipper]

Built and programmed by the type of people who've made everything from aircraft to cars safer.

Did you ever have a check engine light come on and it seemed no one could fix it? Did you ever have an automatic vehicle door not wish to shut correctly, the warning keeps sounding and you don't know why? And how about the car simply shutting off for no reason? Why me?!? Why me?!?!

 

[Lycanthrope]

I remember a scene from 2002's Minority Report where the freeways were dominated by self-driving cars. "Maybe, but not in my lifetime," I thought at the time...

...now it barely gets noticed when one drives by.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

No road rage....no idiots who are trying to make a 40 minute trip in 25 mins, no idiots who happened to have one too many cocktails at lunch or dinner.....or do who understand what the signals on the school bus means

I am certain that withing the next 20 years, most cars on the road will be self driven....and those that arent, will have to have special equipment installed to make sure the driver is competent to drive

Is it ready yet? Not quite....but it is getting close

Depends on where

I doubt the US will take the lead in that, given the age of the vehicle fleet is getting older and how many wealthy and upper class have collectable vehicles that will certainly never qualify for being on roads that require self driving.

China, South Korea or Japan would be in my opinion first with roads that require self driving and no human intervention. Japan especially as it has laws that make older vehicles far more expensive to keep on the road ( or at least used to)

 

[Allan]

Depends on where

I doubt the US will take the lead in that, given the age of the vehicle fleet is getting older and how many wealthy and upper class have collectable vehicles that will certainly never qualify for being on roads that require self driving.

China, South Korea or Japan would be in my opinion first with roads that require self driving and no human intervention. Japan especially as it has laws that make older vehicles far more expensive to keep on the road ( or at least used to)

Northern Europe will be on board with this sort of thing as well.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Built and programmed by the people who are terrible, inefficient, dangerous drivers.

A road with only automated vehicles, interconnected to share sensor data would be very safe, certainly better than any roads with human drivers

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Northern Europe will be on board with this sort of thing as well.

Harder to get done I think, a blizzard I expect would be nearly impossible for a self driving vehicle. No road signs, no lane marking and no road sides visible I expect would make self driving impossible

A guess on my part

 

[Allan]

Harder to get done I think, a blizzard I expect would be nearly impossible for a self driving vehicle. No road signs, no lane marking and no road sides visible I expect would make self driving impossible

A guess on my part

Yeah weather can be a problem. If a human can't see the road the computer can't see it either.

On the other hand neither man nor machine should be out in that weather.

 

[RF667799]

A road with only automated vehicles, interconnected to share sensor data would be very safe, certainly better than any roads with human drivers

I can see that working well for some limited access roads. A steady line of cars maintaining a consistent speed and safe following distances. Auto merge at the on-ramp and go to the intersection determined by the operator, at which point the car auto-exits.