The driverless future of driving is here

[Doomsday101]

By Doug Gross, CNN

Will there be a time in our lives when cars don’t crash? When a Mustang can warn a BMW that it’s changing lanes – or when we can just sit back and relax and our cars will drive themselves?

Auto technology experts say “yes." And they say that some of those advances may happen quicker than you might think.

“We are seeing just seismic changes as we speak,” said Scott Belcher, president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America.
Founded in 1991 as an advisory committee to the U.S. Department of Transportation, ITSA is now an independent non-profit that advocates for technology that will improve the safety and efficiency of cars and trucks.

On Tuesday, Consumer Reports announced that it now supports vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology – systems that essentially let cars talk to each other, helping avoid accidents in the process.

http://whatsnext.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/22/the-sci-fi-future-of-driving-its-already-here/?hpt=hp_c3

 

[5Stars]

That's cool...I just hope that the car won't tell my woman where I've been!

 

[SkinsandTerps]

Autonomous cars have been around for a while. The technology has gotten better, and from one of the TV shows I saw years ago it had cars going 70 miles per hour or so within about ten feet of each other going through a track situation. The part that makes me remember the talk about it back then was they had no one sitting in the drivers' seat while showing the technology then.

I read that insurance companies were/are one of the main problems to overcome. (Who to blame, the car maker or the car owner)

This type of stuff is amazing. Less deaths on the roads alone is reason enough to move forward with this type of stuff.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

Autonomous cars have been around for a while. The technology has gotten better, and from one of the TV shows I saw years ago it had cars going 70 miles per hour or so within about ten feet of each other going through a track situation. The part that makes me remember the talk about it back then was they had no one sitting in the drivers' seat while showing the technology then.

I read that insurance companies were/are one of the main problems to overcome. (Who to blame, the car maker or the car owner)

This type of stuff is amazing. Less deaths on the roads alone is reason enough to move forward with this type of stuff.

The ability to space cars that close together, while unnerving to the driver, is a huge boon to the problem of traffic congestion. I forget where I read/heard it, but under conditions other than stop and go traffic less than 5% of the road surface is in use at any one time. In stop and go, the ability for vehicles to effectively merge and exit from traffic would shave minutes off of any commute.

 

[gmoney112]

And what if they all decide to drive off a cliff simultaneously?

 

[SkinsandTerps]

The ability to space cars that close together, while unnerving to the driver, is a huge boon to the problem of traffic congestion. I forget where I read/heard it, but under conditions other than stop and go traffic less than 5% of the road surface is in use at any one time. In stop and go, the ability for vehicles to effectively merge and exit from traffic would shave minutes off of any commute.

From what they are saying, the part that you mention means that there would likely be no reason to build any new roads either.

Less traffic, safer roads, perhaps no more drunk driving, lower insurance rates, etc.

This has "yes please" written all over it to me.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

And what if they all decide to drive off a cliff simultaneously?

Even less traffic.

Come on. You clearly are not afraid of technology advancements, or you wouldn't be on a computer right now.

 

[gmoney112]

Even less traffic.

Come on. You clearly are not afraid of technology advancements, or you wouldn't be on a computer right now.

I live on the edge.

 

[Future]

I hate the idea of not being in control of a moving vehicle. If something fails, boom, you're dead with no chance to recover.

 

[Doomsday101]

I hate the idea of not being in control of a moving vehicle. If something fails, boom, you're dead with no chance to recover.

You would still be able to take control