Posted on 06/06/2015 11:11:58 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Self-driving cars are taking to the streets in California this summer, but the Golden State isn't the only one opening its roads to autonomous cars.
Virginia just announced that 70 miles of highway in the Commonwealth would be open to self-driving cars, like the cars in Google's fleet. Any autonomous vehicle wanting to travel those routes, called the Virginia Automated Corridors, will be overseen by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which helped the state government plan the project.
As the Richmond Times-Dispatchreports the plan is for companies to test how their cars react in real-world situations on highways packed with human drivers. People worried about potential crashes should remember that in California, accidents involving self-driving cars have all been the fault of humans so far.
The Virginia Automated Corridors follow a (very) rough circle, encompassing Interstate 66, I-495, I-95, state routes 29 and 50, and two different test tracks.
As self-driving technology gets more advanced and safer, more states are taking a chance on allowing companies to road test their products. California, Florida, Michigan, and the District of Columbia all have laws regulating self-driving cars, and Nevada recently hosted the debut of the first self-driving truck.
Combined PING! and DANG!
Are they gonna put tracks in the roads like the do with the ‘old fashioned’ cars at amusement parks now???
What could Go Wrong?
Who’s going to be at fault if there’s an accident? I’ll lay money on it that there will be cameras all over the vehicles and they will actually be driven by remote operators during the first phase because ther’s big money and potential government contracts riding on this type technology. So I highly doubt they will be completely driverless but that’s the image that will be potrayed to sell it.
And always will be because ... who ya going to blame? A computer?
If they have self driving vehicles from Mexico and you have an accident with one will it flee the scene automatically and be uinsured for authenticity?
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Cops are still scratching their heads on how to write a self driving car a ticket.
LOL! Between the illegals who drive way below the speed limit to keep from being picked up to the utter parking lot that is 66 and 95 during the commutes. Yeah, how will they tell the difference.
They test these cars with a licensed driver at the wheel, just like airplanes flying on autopilot.
Where's the fun going to be, going along in a line of vehicles, all going the speed limit? Might as well take the bus.
A very dumb idea. These are not self-driving cars. They are assisted-driving cars. They can’t and won’t ever do everything, so the driver must be ready to take over.
I think that's the endgame from the perspective of our freedom-hating overlords.
People worried about potential crashes should remember that in California, accidents involving self-driving cars have all been the fault of humans so far.
there is likely a very serious gap between the reflexive reactive responses of a Human driver...and that of a droid car. Often the cause of an accident may not be as important as being able to avoid whatever circumstance caused the accident.
If driver not at fault can not avoid.....the collision based on any number of factors within...his control.....he still “gets in a accident”
Id be willing to bet that a humans is far FAR better equipped to avoid danger..that a machine.
object lesson”
sometimes progress travels in strange directions
More details on the accidents, most of which seem to have happened with human drivers in control:
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-google-self-driving-car-accidents.html
Hold Muh Beer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8nnhUCtcO8
coming to your local interstate
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