"....if we're going to Cleveland, get me my helmet"
Posted on 08/26/2016 7:04:59 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
TOLEDO (13abc Action News) - Self-driving cars are getting closer to becoming a reality in America.
Testing is underway in a few places around the country and if you travel the Ohio Turnpike, you'll soon be sharing the road with them.
We spoke with drivers and the head of the Ohio Turnpike Commission about the testing.
The autonomous vehicles could be on the turnpike by the end of the year.
The Ohio Turnpike will be turned into a test track of sorts for the emerging technology.
Randy Cole is the Executive Director of the Turnpike Commission, "It's 241 miles of straight road and there is very little grade change. There are three lanes for 160 miles, which means this can be done without impeding other traffic."
Cole says the engineers and drivers in the test vehicles will follow the same rules the rest of us do, "Every car or truck will have a licensed driver and they will follow all the same insurance and safety laws as the rest of us and the highway patrol can ticket these vehicles."
According to Cole, this testing also has an economic component to it, "If these types of things go in place in other parts of the country they will be able to charge less to get their goods to market and we'll be at an economic disadvantage."
The hope is that the technology can help cut down on the number of accidents throughout the country, "We have two million injury accidents a year and about 32,000 fatalities. We think this technology will help reduce those numbers dramatically as it evolves."
The news is getting mixed reactions from drivers. Denice Hinojosa uses the toll road on a regular basis, "I don't think it's a good idea, I use the turnpike for my daily commute and I don't see how technology could ever replace human control of an automobile."
Zach Miller likes the idea,"I have a background in technology, so I kind of like the idea. It is a bit scary as far as the safety portion. As long as they work that out before it's on the roads, I don't have a problem with it."
Although we don't know who will be doing the testing as of now, turnpike leaders say all of that information will be released, "We'll make sure everyone knows. This will be a very transparent process as it happens."
Robocars.
DANG!
Just what I want - to doze off while a glorified computer ferries me to my destination.
All the classic driver’s ed movies were done in Ohio... looks like a new batch will be ready soon.
The people in this country have become so lazy they don’t even want to drive a car anymore? Total idiocy.
...and if one of those cars decides to run into me on the turnpike, who pays for the damage?
They WOULD lower some accident rates.
However, there would be SOME folks who SOMEHOW manage to screw it up and get into some kind of accident. THAT is the reliability on the stupidity foolishness of some folks.
Count on it.
Put your governor in the third car of five.
The robot gods?
More seriously, though, the vehicles do have operators, who have insurance, as implied by the article.
Think of the possibilities for the Clinton Foundation!
Fort Marcy Park will be a thing of the past.
You would have to make sure that SOMEONE woke you up when you finally DID reach your destination--unless you snore REAL loud and people are DYING to dump you. :o)
I assume they mean after the construction is done?
Right now there are multiple stretches where you have to make a choice: stay right if you might want to exit in the next 10-12 miles or stay left if you don’t mind being boxed in by cement barriers on either side and held up by whatever speed the cars in front of you wish to drive for that same 10-12 miles... unable to change lanes.
If the destination is the last one, be sure to have some gelt to pay at the River Styx.
"....if we're going to Cleveland, get me my helmet"
Remember - "driving is not a right, it's a privilege".
Step 2. "For safety", all automated cars will be coordinated with each other within the state-owned road system.
Step 3. "For Safety" all vehicles within the highway system will be required to be automated, so no "wild card" self-driven vehicles will be permitted.
Step 4. "Sorry - this destination cannot be approved because of: excessive miles driven this month or air pollution is too high today or the highways to your destination are too full at this time or.."
Be careful what you wish for.
Tesla “autopilot” crashes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQNMvHbL3jU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQkx-4pFjus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ7vqAUJdbE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQyrPXPKvlI
Now actually I can see this.
Lived in Michigan for a number of years.
Learned I could drive the Ohio Turnpike in my sleep.
No thanks, another thing for the grubment to effe up ...
The people in this country have become so lazy they don’t even want to drive a car anymore? Total idiocy.
...
Really? That’s your conclusion?
I wonder if the same was said about cruise control or automatic pilots in planes.
There are many benefits to automated driving, especially economic ones. This technology will also be used for commercial vehicles. Eventually we’ll end up with a safer and and more efficient transportation system.
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