Posted on 01/15/2018 12:04:54 PM PST by Enlightened1
Detroit (AFP) - Regulators will "carefully and responsibly" review General Motors' request to test an autonomous car without a steering wheel, US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said Sunday.
"It is now coming to the stage with the rapid advancement of self-driving technology that this request is now a reality," Chao said on the sidelines of the Detroit Auto Show.
"So we will view the petition carefully and responsibly."
GM on Friday unveiled the Cruise AV, an autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, announcing it had asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to exempt it from a number of federal standards that cannot be met with a driverless car.
GM executives have said they planned to introduce a large-scale fleet of self-driving taxis by 2019, a timeframe some analysts consider ambitious.
GM released images of the Cruise AV and video of the interior with a strikingly spacious windshield devoid of a steering wheel.
"It's quite a striking image when people see it for the first time," GM president Dan Ammann told AFP on the sidelines of a GM event Saturday.
"I think people will want to engage with the technology and understand it and experience it," Ammann said.
"But I think what's really most powerful about what the technology can offer is an increase in safety on the road. And once people understand that and see and experience it, we think the adoption will be there."
"Its hard to generalize" about whether the public is ready for autonomous cars, Ammann said. "Some people are more than ready. And other people will be watching and seeing how it evolves."
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
There is no way I am buying a car without a steering wheel.
I’m surprised there’s no semblance of manual control. This is a huge leap.
So which side is “Ridin Shotgun”?
So ...
will I need auto insurance?
... or will General Motors need to provide insurance for everyone who lets them control the car?
Another GM bankruptcy in 5, 4, 3... years?
After all, commercial jets have had very advanced autopilots for years, and they no longer have manual controls or pilots - oh wait....
As an ex-GM owner...er...NO!
It will be a cold day in hell when I give up my 2500 HD non self driving big badass pickup.
5 million truck drivers have this to look forward to
So much for “self-drive ON”.
I’d like you to join me for dinner - at Taco Bell.
Does it turn into a cannoli if you crash into a fountain?
See ya in San Angeles. I’m going to get a banana-broccoli shake. Hey! It can play mini-tunes!
Hey just ignore that semi-truck coming in your lane, sliding on snow - we saved money by not giving you a steering wheel.
Driving a car is fun. Being driven in a car is not unless you’ve been invited to join in a limo party or a pub crawl.
Ditto. This is WAY too fast. The technology is nowhere near mature enough to do this. GM is nuts. FedGov ought to reject it outright very quickly.
Unfortunately, even with backup steering wheel and pedals, people are going to get lulled into being overconfident that the machine can do it all. And it may do everything perfectly well 99.9% of the time. But when the odd situation arises and you are asleep or doing your crossword puzzle or updating your Facebook page, you are going to get dead very quickly.
Did they ever resolve the ethical dilemma of your car having to decide whether to save you or a schoolbus full of kids?
Good. No worries about traffic stops.
They can’t automate trains yet, which run in a much more controlled environment than any other transportation method.
What makes them think that they can automate cars, which run in pretty much the most chaotic environment there is? Between erratic drivers, mechanical failures, pedestrians, bicyclists or even squirrels, it’s a wonder the wetware that’s piloting vehicles doesn’t have MORE “incidents” than already occur!
Just have shuttered windows option and instead of seats, a sofa or a bed... err..
They will have to bring back front bench seats very soon because front seat riders are going to have a lot more time on their hands. The first extra-cost option will be curtains for all the windows.
...so how do ya put the idiot thing in the garage?
Does it have THAT level of geo-spatial knowledge?
(I doubt it.)
Dang! You beat me by 17 seconds. See the post right after yours. I was typing when you hit the “Post” button.
With movies showing on the windshield heads up display, it will be like old times at the drive-in (with no gear shift interfering with moves).
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