The future of transportation

ericm979 · Feb 17, 2018

A futurist's take on the near future of transportation (i.e. self-driving cars) and the impacts to society: Impacts of a driverless future

I realize that 30,000 people die each year on US roadways and self-driving cars could reduce that, but a lot of what this guy describes sounds like a sci fi distopia- large parts of the population unemployed, constant surveilance, constant advertising, wealth concentrated in the hands of very few. He does not take rural living into account and barely acknowledges that many people actually like driving. So I'm hoping that he's wrong or it takes longer so I don't have to deal with it.

smstonypoint · Feb 17, 2018

The link doesn't work for me.

Steve

Looking4new · Feb 18, 2018

Link broke, just like me.

newbury · Feb 18, 2018

ericm979 said:
A futurist's take on the near future of transportation (i.e. self-driving cars) and the impacts to society: Impacts of a driverless future

I realize that 30,000 people die each year on US roadways and self-driving cars could reduce that, but a lot of what this guy describes sounds like a sci fi distopia- large parts of the population unemployed, constant surveilance, constant advertising, wealth concentrated in the hands of very few. He does not take rural living into account and barely acknowledges that many people actually like driving. So I'm hoping that he's wrong or it takes longer so I don't have to deal with it.

did you mean this:
73 Mind-Blowing Implications of a Driverless Future

This article may be a side effect of marijuana legalization.

/edit - looks like the op put a carriage return within the URL

Sparkynutz · Feb 18, 2018

I didn't read article but can see it coming sooner than we think and it scares me. Automation is only as good as its programming. Im an electrician who deals with that stuff every day and you'd be surprises how often issues pop up and go away not know what caused the issue. Glitches, gremains and mistakes happen. You know **** well the auto industry won't do anything about deaths to owners of their cars until held accountable by big brother. They all need a 100% mechanical fail safe in addition to their wire ones in my opinion. Guy the other day couldn't stop his BMW for 40 miles doing 90mph till hwy patrol helped him crash after blowing in out his tires and slowing him down to 40mph.
Some type of emergency electrical kill switch allowing a car to coast to a stop and/or mechanical engine braking on the flywheel or similar is my idea.

Raspy · Feb 18, 2018

Did you guys read about this interesting glitch in the autopilot system where a self driven car is likely to accelerate toward a stopped vehicle in front of it? Volvo and Tesla have the same problem.

The system requires an "attentive" driver that is in control at all times. I know this will eventually get worked out, but we are now in the development phase and it is a bit unnerving. If I'm stopped, and a car between me and a driverless car moves out of the lane, the driverless car is likely to accelerate towards me.

Why Tesla'''s Autopilot Can'''t See a Stopped Firetruck | WIRED