Self driving cars good for cyclists?

[Inertia]

Agreed. As a software engineer who works on very complex software, I'm well aware that for all the bugs you find and fix, more are likely to still be present, but hidden. Given that the software on these self-driving cars is safety-critical, the safety requirements on the software, for developing, testing, etc. would be very stringent. They still may not find all the bugs, though.

People seem to forget that humans are out there right now crashing and killing people everyday. Automated cars will only get better wheras we seem to be getting worse at driving.

 

[tyred]

Why do they have to keep changing things? My old car is fine.

 

[Noru]

I can see electric vehicles being the majority on UK roads by 2030 but not self driving cars.

The uptake of 100% self driving cars will be slower. Though I can see the current trend of cars slowly taking on more self-drive functions continuing. Eventually leading to hybrids which allow the user to switch between self driving & user controlled. Then purely self drive cars coming to the market.

Haulage & bus operators will be the first to switch to self driving in my opinion, as HGV & Coach drivers have a maximum numbers of hours a week they can work and they must take regular breaks while on the road. Self driving would allow these services to run non-stop 24/7 allowing a significant saving in time, cost & public liability for the companies.

Cost is a major draw back, self-drive fork lift trucks and AGVs are widely available but the uptake is slow and these are simpler vehicles operating in controllable environments (factories & warehouses) and don't have the added complexity of dealing with as many unexpected hazards that the open road would throw up.


As for self driving cars passing cyclists more closely, err no! The distance from a cyclist is set due to the possibility of the cyclist avoiding a road hazard, falling into the road due to a hazard or bicycle malfunction and due to the air disturbance caused by a passing faster vehicle.

 

[Tin Pot]

Part of my concern is a terrorist attack targeting the infrastructure rather than than an individual car with the idea of creating chaos and bringing a city to a standstill.

Indeed - I think they will focus on driverless lorries for that, and not just terrorists. Organised crime and nationstates have more to gain from this kind of attack IMO.

Not that anyone hates the Dutch in particularly, but my eye is on their taxi network of Teslas in AMS that can be fully controlled from a phone. That couldn't go wrong could it?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

I can see electric vehicles being the majority on UK roads by 2030 but not self driving cars.

I'm not so sure. I can see self-driving cars being the majority but still with the majority of them running fossil fuel engines.

Reason being that no electrical grid in the world will cope if we switch from majority fossil to majority electric. I don't see any plans for a massive jump in capacity 14 years from now. As it is, it takes 15 years to build a power station and we have good forward vision that far away wrt new builds. There's nothing there that can come with a huge jump. All they're planning for is incremental growth based on a few factors other than replacing petrolium cars.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Indeed - I think they will focus on driverless lorries for that, and not just terrorists. Organised crime and nationstates have more to gain from this kind of attack IMO.

Not that anyone hates the Dutch in particularly, but my eye is on their taxi network of Teslas in AMS that can be fully controlled from a phone. That couldn't go wrong could it?

At least a cyber attack is easier to cope with than say OPEC doing the equivalent to oil supplies.
But, the threat of a cyber attack will no doubt be good for Hollywood.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

People seem to forget that humans are out there right now crashing and killing people everyday. Automated cars will only get better wheras we seem to be getting worse at driving.

Perhaps, but they'll also get far more complex. Microsoft Windows is a good example of that. Its early versions decades ago were primitive compared to today's versions, but they also probably had fewer bugs. Whenever we add complexity, we add problems. I see evidence of that every day at work.

 

[Markymark]

Perhaps, but they'll also get far more complex. Microsoft Windows is a good example of that. Its early versions decades ago were primitive compared to today's versions, but they also probably had fewer bugs. Whenever we add complexity, we add problems. I see evidence of that every day at work.

Possibly because Windows now has to deal with a huge number of third party devices/software that didn't exist 20 years ago whereas cars won't have to evolve much beyond simply improving. Their environment won't change much.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Possibly because Windows now has to deal with a huge number of third party devices/software that didn't exist 20 years ago whereas cars won't have to evolve much beyond simply improving. Their environment won't change much.

I think they'll all change a lot: the cars, their environment, the software that gets run in the cars, just like the third-party software you mentioned that runs in Windows.

I just hope bicycles don't change too much. I like the freedom (and challenge) of just pedaling my way from A to B, and seeing the scenery on the way.

 

[Markymark]

I think they'll all change a lot: the cars, their environment, the software that gets run in the cars, just like the third-party software you mentioned that runs in Windows.

I just hope bicycles don't change too much. I like the freedom (and challenge) of just pedaling my way from A to B, and seeing the scenery on the way.

PCs are unrecognisable from 20 years ago. Roads are pretty much identical, just a bit busier.

 

[Crackle]

I read but can't find the article, that manufacturers will assume insurance liability in the case where their technology was at fault. I've also read that premiums will tumble for self-driving cars. I've also read a load of other stuff. I think it's great, self driving cars, electric cars, it's all getting there. I didn't think I'd see it my lifetime but perhaps I'll own an electric self-driving car which will enable me to watch Die Hard 24 from my 3D holographic implant in first or third person mode.

 

[Piemaster]

Mercedes have stated that if a collision situation arises the car will save the occupants, not the other parties. So probably not good for cyclists then.LINK

 

[toontra]

Mercedes have stated that if a collision situation arises the car will save the occupants, not the other parties. So probably not good for cyclists then.LINK

Precisely. It's not just that the software needs to be bug-free and hack-free. Almost insoluble ethical dilemmas (as in this example) will need to be addressed. I can't see how this can be done without manufacturers laying themselves open to ruinous law suits.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Mercedes have stated that if a collision situation arises the car will save the occupants, not the other parties. So probably not good for cyclists then.LINK

What is the difference in a computer acting like this and a human?
I have no sources, or evidence, just my opinion. But I think when the sticky stuff hits the fan, that the natural reaction for all humans is to protect themselves too.

I think the ideal goal is that this ethical dilemma does not become an issue, as hopefully the cars don't drive in a manner that will lead to this kind of panic reaction (unless a human driver causes the incident by failing to give way).

 

[toontra]

What is the difference in a computer acting like this and a human?

The difference is that a company will have decided in advance whose safety to prioritise, not the spur of the moment impulse of one person. If I, as a pedestrian or cyclist, was on the receiving end of that decision I wouldn't be happy (were I still alive).