WHY PEOPLE KEEP REAR-ENDING SELF-DRIVING CARS

[AGGAMEMNON66]

I get it that people don't want to lose their freedom to drive I really do. It's just not that big of a deal to me and I think it's worth the sacrifice. Perhaps we can make it so people can choose to go manual if they want. Most will choose to go with the automatic driving at that point.

As far as hackers getting into our cars that's coming whether we choose to use AI driving or not. There are already cars out there that can be hacked so it's only a matter of time before every car can be. We can just have a manual mode that you can turn on if necessary. There's so many things that can be hacked in our country today that could destroy us, our vehicles should be the least of our worries.

Honestly my main reason for wanting everyone to be forced to use AI driving is because of uninsured motorist. I've had my car hit twice within a year from people who don't have insurance and both times I was rear ended. My insurance is through the roof now because I never had uninsured motorist on my plan.

Yeah, I don’t think either one of us is changing their mind here, just food for thought. But to me, the bad outweighs the good on this topic.. at least for now. I can think of so many things that can go wrong or that I personally just wouldn’t like about this happening.


In my perfect world, people will be left to choose which they prefer. I know the downsides to this, but I think it would work out in the end. I think it already works decently, tho it’s a very small sample size.

 

[Kalmah]

It doesn't matter what the self driving car was doing though if it was rear-ended. Regardless if it's driving 'herkily-jerkily' as they say or 'stopping for no clear reason', the person who rear ended them wasn't driving at a safe enough distance to safely stop. They're at fault.

It's no different if a person or computer is doing the driving. If I suddenly slam on my brakes because a cat or a dog ran in front of my vehicle for example and the person behind me rear-ends me, they're the ones at fault. Not me.

If that's how the majority of accidents involving self driving vehicles are playing out then it's actually a good thing imo.

 

[bad seed]

How can we truly know if it’s safer, until we have hundreds of thousands of these AVs out on the road?

Btw, are we truly getting this frickin lazy that we don’t want to drive anymore!?

They go by the rate of accidents per 100,000 miles driven. And by that metric it is demonstrably safer- and improving with each revision. Humans are arguably worse drivers than we were 20 years ago, though fatalities are lower because of better crash protection.

And how is automated cars "lazy"? It frees you to be more productive on your morning commute (or sleep, it's up to you). You could make a similarly faulty argument that driving is lazy when you should be biking or walking to work.

 

[superpunch]

How do self driving cars deal with random dangers?

Like a median randomly extends into the road -- it's stupid but I've seen it.

Or the painted lines being in the wrong spot on the road. Or not exactly 1/2 1/2, like 75/25.

Etc.

 

[Midnighter]

Because jackasses dont know how to drive

In a 30 mph zone, you dont go 40 you fucks

Yup, I go 50

 

[El Chimpo]

Yup, I go 50

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Isn’t the obvious explanation that self-driving cars don’t actually have a problem with being rear-ended so much as they’re so good at driving that the only accidents they’re getting into are being rear-ended, which collisions are largely out of their control?

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

They go by the rate of accidents per 100,000 miles driven. And by that metric it is demonstrably safer- and improving with each revision. Humans are arguably worse drivers than we were 20 years ago, though fatalities are lower because of better crash protection.

And how is automated cars "lazy"? It frees you to be more productive on your morning commute (or sleep, it's up to you). You could make a similarly faulty argument that driving is lazy when you should be biking or walking to work.

If this is even true, I’d argue it’s more the product of distraction (cell phones/texting for example) rather than a lack of driving skill.

 

[Midnighter]

Isn’t the obvious explanation that self-driving cars don’t actually have a problem with being rear-ended so much as they’re so good at driving that the only accidents they’re getting into are being rear-ended, which collisions are largely out of their control?

Shut up, you robot sympathizer.

 

[bad seed]

If this is even true, I’d argue it’s more the product of distraction (cell phones/texting for example) rather than a lack of driving skill.

yes, along with an older population.

 

[Fawlty]

What a shitty article. There is almost no useful information in there.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

If this is even true, I’d argue it’s more the product of distraction (cell phones/texting for example) rather than a lack of driving skill.

People don’t even know how to drive with a manual transmission anymore or a even start a car with a carburetor.

 

[Barbas619]

They go by the rate of accidents per 100,000 miles driven. And by that metric it is demonstrably safer- and improving with each revision. Humans are arguably worse drivers than we were 20 years ago, though fatalities are lower because of better crash protection.

And how is automated cars "lazy"? It frees you to be more productive on your morning commute (or sleep, it's up to you). You could make a similarly faulty argument that driving is lazy when you should be biking or walking to work.

We may be worse drivers because of the amount of vehicles on the road has multiplied?

Most people I know drive at least 25 miles to work, one way. Not super easy to bike that distance on a daily basis.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

People don’t even know how to drive with a manual transmission anymore or a even start a car with a carburetor.

There are less stick cars.. but driving skill doesn’t equal ‘knowing how to drive stick’ imo. It’s knowing how to drive what you have, and I’d argue that particular skill isn’t any more diminished today than 20 years ago. And fwiw, I’ve been driving a bit longer than 20 years.


Distractions are way more numerous now than they were in the 90’s and prior. That’s become one of the bigger issues. And that effects even us ‘old schoolers’ on the road. We’ve all sent/read texts or fucked with our phones while driving.

 

[bad seed]

There are less stick cars.. but driving skill doesn’t equal ‘knowing how to drive stick’ imo. It’s knowing how to drive what you have, and I’d argue that particular skill isn’t any more diminished today than 20 years ago. And fwiw, I’ve been driving a bit longer than 20 years.


Distractions are way more numerous now than they were in the 90’s and prior. That’s become one of the bigger issues. And that effects even us ‘old schoolers’ on the road. We’ve all sent/read texts or fucked with our phones while driving.

I would say people now generally are less informed about cars in general, and thus have less general driving skill. The auto industry has been trying their best to make car ownership as dummy-proof as possible so people don't have to understand any aspect of their car beyond turning it on. They expect owners of new cars to never open the hood or service any of the components and simply follow the dealer's instructions and take it in when alerted.

I know grown men who don't know what engine or transmission their car has, nor simple things like the difference between 87 and 93 octane. Most people can't change their tire or jump start their battery either. Services like that are now covered with every new car purchase so they just rely on others and never learn.

What's worse is that they're unaware of tire behavior so they panic if something unpredictable occurs- such as rain in a usually dry climate, or snow in a normally warm region. Idiots these days think AWD makes their car invincible in any traction situation.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

I would say people now generally are less informed about cars in general, and thus have less general driving skill. The auto industry has been trying their best to make car ownership as dummy-proof as possible so people don't have to understand any aspect of their car beyond turning it on. They expect owners of new cars to never open the hood or service any of the components and simply follow the dealer's instructions and take it in when alerted.

I know grown men who don't know what engine or transmission their car has, nor simple things like the difference between 87 and 93 octane. Most people can't change their tire or jump start their battery either. Services like that are now covered with every new car purchase so they just rely on others and never learn.

What's worse is that they're unaware of tire behavior so they panic if something unpredictable occurs- such as rain in a usually dry climate, or snow in a normally warm region. Idiots these days think AWD makes their car invincible in any traction situation.

Dude, there are professional race car drivers that couldn’t tell a carburetor from fuel injection. They’re still skilled at driving for what they do.


I get where you’re going, but infinite knowledge of working on something doesn’t equal out to infinite ability in using that thing. They can be separate.