For now, it seems like a novelty - cars that can operate independently of human control, safely cruising down streets thanks to an array of sensors and pinpoint GPS navigation.
But if the technology avoids getting crushed by government regulators and product liability lawsuits, writes the Federalist's Dan McLaughlin, it could prompt a cultural shift similar to the early 20th century move away from horses as the primary means of transportation.
First and foremost, he writes, the spread of driverless cars will likely greatly reduce the number of traffic accidents - which currently cost Americans $871b (£510b) a year.
"A truly driverless road would not be accident-free, given the number of accidents that would still be caused by mechanical and computer errors, weather conditions, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists and sheer random chance," he says. "But it would make the now-routine loss of life and limb on the roads far rarer."
Computer-operated cars would eventually reshape car design, he says, as things like windshields - "a large and vulnerable piece of glass" - become less necessary. Drivers will be able to sit wherever they'd like in their cars, which could make car interiors more like mobile lounges than like cockpits.
The age required to operate a driverless car is likely to drop, he says. There could be an impact on the legal drinking age, as well, as preventing drunk driving was one of the prime justifications for the US-wide setting minimum age to purchase alcohol at 21 years old.
There's other possible economic fallout, McLaughlin contends, such as a restructuring of the auto insurance industry, the obsolescence of taxi drivers and lower ratings for drive-time radio programmes.
The high-tech security state will also get boost, he writes, as GPS-tagged cars will be easier to track, making life difficult for fugitives and car thieves. Police will also be able to move resources away from operations like traffic enforcement.
Of course, he writes, the towns that rely on speed traps to fund their government services will be facing budget shortfalls. Privacy advocates could also get an unexpected boost, he notes, since traffic stops are one of the main justifications for police vehicle searches.
Finally, there's the prospect of the as-yet-unrealised futurist dream of flying cars. With computer-controlled vehicles that strictly follow traffic rules, McLaughlin says, "the potential for three-dimensional roads becomes a lot less scary and more a matter of simply solving the technological challenge".
Where we're going, we may not need roads after all. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Otter:
Don't judge me until you've had to replace a vehicle or spend time in the hospital with one common denominator as the factor.
There are millions of male drivers out there and millions of female drivers out there. I am positive there are some female drivers who have been involved in more accidents than you....and each time it was a male driver who was at fault. Those women would be justified in believing that men are bad drivers.
In statistics this is called dimensionality. Now this isn't saying you are lying about your experience....there is no reason the believe that......even if women drivers were as good as male drivers...happenstance would require there be some male drivers who experienced multiple women at fault accidents.
If you actually experienced what you claim, you have good reason to be suspect of women drivers....you should expect your experiences to by typical. However your testimony isn't necessarily a good reason for everyone else to be suspect of women drivers because we should expect a certain number of males drivers to have really bad luck with women drivers. We expect that out of millions of male drivers, some will have have atypical experiences. [Reply]
Apple lays off over 600 employees in California after abandoning electric car project
Apple is laying off 614 employees in California after abandoning its electric car project. According to the WARN notice posted by the California Employment Development Department, Apple notified the affected employees on March 28 and the changes will go into effect on May 27. Affected employees worked at eight locations in Santa Clara, roughly 45 miles south of San Francisco.
Although the notice doesn’t specify which projects the employees were working on, Bloomberg reports that most of the affected employees were working at buildings related to its canceled car project, while others were working at a facility for its next-generation screen development.
Apple wound down both of these projects toward the end of February. The company started working on its car project, known internally as “Project Titan,” in 2014, and told employees that it was canceling it on February 27. Bloomberg reported at the time that some remaining employees who were working on the car project would be shifted to Apple’s generative AI projects.
Around the same time, Apple reportedly ended efforts to design and develop its own next-generation displays. The displays were supposed to be added to the company’s Apple Watch before potentially going into the company’s other devices.
The layoffs mark Apple’s first major round of job cuts post-pandemic.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Originally Posted by BWillie:
Bought a new Model Y so comes with 3 months of free Full Self Driving. Doubt Ill keep it but it will be fascinating.
I have a Y and I got the update a couple of days ago. Tried it on the freeway and I MUCH prefer autopilot to FSD. FSD attempted a couple of lane changes that I was uncomfortable making. Both times when there was a car coming up doing a higher speed than me. It would be the type of lane change that would have pissed of the person. It also decided to get out of the carpool lane miles ahead of an interchange where I would be going from one freeway to another.
I changed back to autopilot after one drive. I may give it a try on city streets or use the summon feature just to see what it's like, but I wouldn't spend a dime on it and am very glad I didn't buy it when I got my Y new. It was $7,500 at the time and I would consider that throwing $7,500 away. [Reply]
I've always been in the camp that driverless cars will change everything, but it will take longer than the boosters imagine.
If every car on the road, driverless or not, had some sort of short range transponder, announcing it speed and position, etc. That would make driverless cars safer and more viable.
I'm a bigger privacy type than most, and I think this is a good idea.
After almost getting killed walking at night after leaving a bar...
I would like an app on my phone that would announce my location to cars. [Reply]
Originally Posted by LagunaSWana:
I have a Y and I got the update a couple of days ago. Tried it on the freeway and I MUCH prefer autopilot to FSD. FSD attempted a couple of lane changes that I was uncomfortable making. Both times when there was a car coming up doing a higher speed than me. It would be the type of lane change that would have pissed of the person. It also decided to get out of the carpool lane miles ahead of an interchange where I would be going from one freeway to another.
I changed back to autopilot after one drive. I may give it a try on city streets or use the summon feature just to see what it's like, but I wouldn't spend a dime on it and am very glad I didn't buy it when I got my Y new. It was $7,500 at the time and I would consider that throwing $7,500 away.
I agree. FSD seems to struggle knowing driving etiquette too sometimes. The biggest issue I had so far is one that isn't surprising but in a construction area on the highway we had zippered into one lane and there were cones but not many. They had us all in the far right lane and the 3 left lanes were open. FSD kept wanting to change lanes to go around the cars into the vacant lanes lol
But one of the goals of the trial FSD is to gather data. The more it is used, the better it gets and more information is sent to Tesla for them to use to make it better and for AI to improve it as well.
I'm definitely not planning to buy it for 12k when the trial ends, but I'll definitely keep using Autopilot. I just wish AP did automatic lane changes when I tell it to. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
I agree. FSD seems to struggle knowing driving etiquette too sometimes. The biggest issue I had so far is one that isn't surprising but in a construction area on the highway we had zippered into one lane and there were cones but not many. They had us all in the far right lane and the 3 left lanes were open. FSD kept wanting to change lanes to go around the cars into the vacant lanes lol
But one of the goals of the trial FSD is to gather data. The more it is used, the better it gets and more information is sent to Tesla for them to use to make it better and for AI to improve it as well.
I'm definitely not planning to buy it for 12k when the trial ends, but I'll definitely keep using Autopilot. I just wish AP did automatic lane changes when I tell it to.
I was using AP on a drive Saturday and it definitely helped to avoid an accident. Traffic was flowing and I noticed a car stranded on the left shoulder two lanes over. I was distracted for maybe one second when some moron moves into my lane and slows to about 10 mph. AP hit the brakes hard before I could and then I took over. Might have been an insurance scam or just an idiot. [Reply]
Originally Posted by LagunaSWana:
I was using AP on a drive Saturday and it definitely helped to avoid an accident. Traffic was flowing and I noticed a car stranded on the left shoulder two lanes over. I was distracted for maybe one second when some moron moves into my lane and slows to about 10 mph. AP hit the brakes hard before I could and then I took over. Might have been an insurance scam or just an idiot.
Yeah one thing I trust autopilot to do better than me is to not hit the car in front of me that is in my lane and not going outside of the lane at least when the road is straight. It is REALLLY helpful in those instances.
One time I was using it on a 45 mph road and I was looking left at a car that was thinking about darting out. Well there was a dumbass to my right trying to cross FIVE LANES of traffic from one side of the road to the other during a busy day and I absolutely did not see them because I was looking left and Autopilot did avoid an accident there. But there are times where I let my guard down so to speak and I'll hit debris in the road...but these aren't deadly occurences at least. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BWillie:
Yeah one thing I trust autopilot to do better than me is to not hit the car in front of me that is in my lane and not going outside of the lane at least when the road is straight. It is REALLLY helpful in those instances.
One time I was using it on a 45 mph road and I was looking left at a car that was thinking about darting out. Well there was a dumbass to my right trying to cross FIVE LANES of traffic from one side of the road to the other during a busy day and I absolutely did not see them because I was looking left and Autopilot did avoid an accident there. But there are times where I let my guard down so to speak and I'll hit debris in the road...but these aren't deadly occurences at least.
They have driverless taxis called Waymo testing in SF and in Vegas. Got a glimpse of this a couple weeks ago when I was there. To your point I think it will work once all the cars are interconnected and talking to each other — it’s the rogue human driver that is the problem.
Of course once we let the computers control our travel and AI infiltrates them we are doomed. [Reply]
Originally Posted by RINGLEADER:
They have driverless taxis called Waymo testing in SF and in Vegas. Got a glimpse of this a couple weeks ago when I was there. To your point I think it will work once all the cars are interconnected and talking to each other — it’s the rogue human driver that is the problem.
Of course once we let the computers control our travel and AI infiltrates them we are doomed.
You might want to check out post 162 in this thread. Not sure if anything has changed. [Reply]
