First auto pilot car fatality

[I like Skol]

130 Millions miles and one fatality - although it is one too many, those odds are not too bad.

I am in my early 40s and have been a proffesional driver for a lot of my life. A quick & dirty calculation suggests I have driven close to 1 million miles since I passed my test at the age of 17 so you are saying that for around 1 in 130 people like me to die in a road vehicle accident before they reach their mid 40s is ok?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

The deceased driver had posted a video of a previous near-collision avoided by the autopilot feature. Interestingly that was a white truck too.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4bQBJ2Cfqk


GC

 

[Levo-Lon]

I am in my early 40s and have been a proffesional driver for a lot of my life. A quick & dirty calculation suggests I have driven close to 1 million miles since I passed my test at the age of 17 so you are saying that for around 1 in 130 people like me to die in a road vehicle accident before they reach their mid 40s is ok?

if you factor in motorcycles? Id think its a lot more deaths per mile?

 

[I like Skol]

The deceased driver had posted a video of a previous near-collision avoided by the autopilot feature. Interestingly that was a white truck too.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4bQBJ2Cfqk


GC

He was undertaking traffic at a complex merge/exit junction and was surprised at that near miss? This only reinforces my point about ALL vehicle movements being controlled by tech, or none. You can't safely have a halfway house situation.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I don't think US roads are like ours. There's no "fast" or "overtaking" lane as such.

 

[tyred]

That has been the case for a long time. No need to learn how to "feel" for the lock up point on brakes any more; just stamp as hard as possible on the pedal and let the ABS sensors do their thing. Similarly, don't worry if you crash, all those nice airbags and crumple zones will let you walk away unscathed. People might learn to drive with more care and attention if instead of a nice fluffy airbag built into the steering wheel, there was a sharp metal spike!

I agree up to a point and I don't like driver aids in cars but people drove like idiots (possibly even more so) before airbags or ABS were invented.

The simple problem is that people never think ahead but just to react to it as it happens and hope for the best.

 

[Beer belly]

Eventually all cars will be mainly driverless but I doubt entirely, rural back roads for instance? This traffic control will reduce accidents and probably end traffic jams, mainly caused by one driver slowing down, the next driver braking the next braking harder etc.
As a cyclist, will all this collision control make it safer for me AND make cycling more pleasurable? I hope it will. I may even use rural A roads again
Is this technology applicable to motorcyclist? I was hit by one a couple of months ago. It was on a rural A road that I use sparingly and for quarter of mile only.

 

[Brandane]

The deceased driver had posted a video of a previous near-collision avoided by the autopilot feature. Interestingly that was a white truck too.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4bQBJ2Cfqk


GC

A "real" driver would have seen that potential collision coming well before the auto pilot did!
The white truck comes down the slip road on the left and starts to move across the lanes. The car on auto pilot is on the driver's blind side (no excuse though, he should use his MIRRORS!) and their relative bearing does not change until the last second. The car driver, if driving properly, would have noticed that and slowed down or taken avoiding action earlier.
Incidentally, does the auto pilot give the truck a blast on the horn? Does it then stick a single finger out the driver's window too?

 

[Brandane]

[QUOTE 4346648, member: 9609"]And what will happen if driver of lead truck need to pop into services for a pee, [/QUOTE]

He'll do what we they do now and drive with one hand while doing the business into a wide necked bottle, then discard it out of the nearside window. Truckers Tizer! For the more serious contributors; I am of course only having a larf (although it has been known to happen).

 

[glasgowcyclist]

A "real" driver would have seen that potential collision coming well before the auto pilot did!

There are many similar crashes regularly on motorways with the 'real' drivers we have (unless by 'real' you meant competent). At least on this occasion it appears to have been averted by the technology where the human failed.

GC

 

[Brandane]

There are many similar crashes regularly on motorways with the 'real' drivers we have (unless by 'real' you meant competent). At least on this occasion it appears to have been averted by the technology where the human failed.

GC

Sorry, yes; I meant competent.

 

[Drago]

I'm astonished. Is there anyone in America who isn't an ex Navy SEAL?

 

[classic33]

I'm astonished. Is there anyone in America who isn't an ex Navy SEAL?

Two relatives in the NSA, that were never in any of the armed services.

 

[Beer belly]

Two relatives in the NSA, that were never in any of the armed services.

NSA?

 

[Milkfloat]

I am in my early 40s and have been a proffesional driver for a lot of my life. A quick & dirty calculation suggests I have driven close to 1 million miles since I passed my test at the age of 17 so you are saying that for around 1 in 130 people like me to die in a road vehicle accident before they reach their mid 40s is ok?

Well the stats actually say it should be 27.62 people being killed on US roads per 130 million kilometers. You are abnormal However, Tesla's autonomous driving only works on major roads like motorways which are safer, so you would expect the death toll to be lower.