Just because you can ... doesn't mean you should"
I can see a dozen ways this can go sideways. To name a few:
1. What happens when the computer system hoses up on the freeway when all the traffic is moving 60 mph and there is a car riding your ass ???
2. You want to get to Golden Gate Park in SF and the GPS system makes a last minute left turn and puts you into the Pacific Ocean.
3. The computer system craps out, you have an accident [which would be your fault] - who gets sued ??? You, Google ???
“sooner than later” ? Oh well, “sooner rather than later” didn’t really make sense either.
4. A computer virus is introduced into the traffic system.
Trial Lawyers can’t wait to access Google’s deep pockets. You betcha they are in favor of this!
Just something to ponder...if I could instantly transform the entire system, that is all traffic everywhere, to driverless...would you want me to first show that the new system would result in zero accidents? Or would it be enough for me to show that the new system would result in fewer accidents than what we have now?
I’m sorta debating this with myself...
Things that can also go wrong:
A playful three year old, or child of any age enters this car in CA and ends up in Kansas.
A “dear leader” has a temper tantrum and programs all conservative owned cars to drive into the ocean, off a cliff or straight to a fema camp.
Well, there is your pocket. And there are deep pockets (may or may not be you). And there are Very Deep Pockets (probably not you).
After all, GPS starts with G, doesn't it? So, the lawyers will pile on the one who starts with G!
I see cars on the road every day which appear to have no intelligent force controlling them. A Googlemobile couldn’t be any worse.
What difference, at this point, does it make?
The computers that run the Visa network are more reliable than humans. There are systems where you can hot-swap processor blades, as the OS migrates tasks off of the boards that you are about to pull out. Computers flew Shuttles to the orbit and back; computers assisted in Lunar landings. Even today a typical new car contains several computers. Some of these cars have cameras, they can look at the road markings, they can follow other cars, and they can park your car.
These fears are very similar to those when cars just started to appear in cities - everyone was sure that a car, moving at breakneck speed of 5 mph, will inevitably hit something within seconds.
Hardware can always be improved; humans, on the other hand, are what they are. Each human has to spend time and money to learn to drive; however all autonomous cars learn together, in parallel, and on each other's mistakes. A self-driving car's computer can easily have ten million miles of driving under its belt, in all conditions, in all cities and on all freeways, because this knowledge comes as a data file that a service tech upgrades your car with. No human can even hope to have that much experience in his lifetime.
Naturally, there will be many situations where a human must drive. For example, the police cruisers will have to have both the automatic mode (to allow the LEO to use radio, MDT, cell phone, notebook, etc.) and the manual mode (for chasing a car, if necessary.) A few days ago there was a discussion about automated trucks, and the last mile is one such place where a human may do better. But automation will work for the majority of commuters and for some professionals (contractors' trucks and vans). Some errands can be ran by the car alone - such as buying groceries online and sending a car to pick them up.
What could possibly go wrong....ping.
Nothing like dumbing down America even more.
“In many ways, Google replicated its Nevada playbook: Frame the debate. Wow potential allies with joy rides. Argue that driverless cars would make roads safer and create jobs.”
I’d want to hear that jobs argument. Subtract many hundreds of thousands of delivery drivers, taxi drivers, truck drivers, and add...what? A couple more minimum wage drones at amazon.com packing stuff into boxes for a handful of transportation company executives who now have a lighter payroll.
Do I have to buy insurance if I’m only a passenger?
As a father of two kids who will begin driving in 10 years, nothing would please me more than having a computer handle the driving for them when that time comes. I can assure you a computer will one day make a far better driver than any 16 year old.
When my car runs low on gas, it will pull into the gas station that pays Google the most and instruct me to fill it up. Makes sense.
Yeah right now with the old fashioned bio computers operating them we hose 50000 people a year. Idiots driving drunk, texting, yaking just plain day dreaming and just good old fashioned STUPID. I don’t think Google can actually make it any worse....