Driverless car kills woman in America

[Fogey]

What is the point of driverless cars anyway, I used to love driving before I got my vision problems.I cannot visualise anyone buying a car and paying insurance on it then never drive it.

 

Oh yeah, dangerous overtaking, people aggressively using their horns because you didn't get off to a racing start the moment the amber light came on, people driving dangerously close because they want to go 85 on a 50 speed limit, people overtaking you while you're overtaking a cyclist because you didn't overtake fast and close enough, cyclists bunny hopping out into the middle of the road without looking, crash for cash, its a relaxing joy fest.

 

The sooner human beings are taken out of the equation the happier I will be.

[Cyclone]

What is the point of driverless cars anyway, I used to love driving before I got my vision problems.I cannot visualise anyone buying a car and paying insurance on it then never drive it.

 

Did you love your commute?

Did you love really long drives (I've got to drive to Aberdeen on Sat, having the car drive itself would be a huge bonus).

 

Don't get me wrong, I like driving sometimes, I have a nice car and a nice country road is great fun.

But Sheffield morning traffic, or the drag up the parkway at 1615, not so much fun.

There are plenty of trips where I'd tell the car to get on with it whilst I read a book or catch up on some TV.

[Fogey]

Did you love your commute?

Did you love really long drives (I've got to drive to Aberdeen on Sat, having the car drive itself would be a huge bonus).

 

Don't get me wrong, I like driving sometimes, I have a nice car and a nice country road is great fun.

But Sheffield morning traffic, or the drag up the parkway at 1615, not so much fun.

There are plenty of trips where I'd tell the car to get on with it whilst I read a book or catch up on some TV.

 

Just to be able to sit and look out the window at the world around you, its the only thing I miss about public transport.

[TheNugget]

There is a video of the incident on the BBC website.

I’d suggest the human monitor was neither use nor ornament, as he wasn’t looking at the road until a fraction before impact.

The view from the front of the car seems to suggest that the road user walked right in front of the vehicle.

Not sure what the car could have done to avoid the user.

[Ontarian1981]

Did you love your commute?

Did you love really long drives (I've got to drive to Aberdeen on Sat, having the car drive itself would be a huge bonus).

 

Don't get me wrong, I like driving sometimes, I have a nice car and a nice country road is great fun.

But Sheffield morning traffic, or the drag up the parkway at 1615, not so much fun.

There are plenty of trips where I'd tell the car to get on with it whilst I read a book or catch up on some TV.

 

Well, I am retired, but I have commuted quite a lot and gone on long drives, including Florida a few times. I cannot think why I would even own a car if I couldn't drive it. There is public transit for commuting and "trains and boats and planes" for long trips. By the way, my drives to Florida were all by me alone, the kids were too young to spell me and my wife doesn't drive.Of course, we stayed over a night in a motel about halfway. To be honest I used to enjoy it although the family were a pain sometimes with the"how much longer" stuff.

[vwkittie]

Perhaps if the human operator has been looking out of the car instead of down at the screen/controls/whatever she was looking at, she would have spotted the woman and intervened.

 

---------- Post added 22-03-2018 at 16:13 ----------

 

There is a video of the incident on the BBC website.

I’d suggest the human monitor was neither use nor ornament, as he wasn’t looking at the road until a fraction before impact.

The view from the front of the car seems to suggest that the road user walked right in front of the vehicle.

Not sure what the car could have done to avoid the user.

 

Yes exactly! She should have been looking around and paying as much attention as if she were driving surely?

[ECCOnoob]

Perhaps if the human operator has been looking out of the car instead of down at the screen/controls/whatever she was looking at, she would have spotted the woman and intervened.

 

---------- Post added 22-03-2018 at 16:13 ----------

 

 

Yes exactly! She should have been looking around and paying as much attention as if she were driving surely?

 

Perhaps if the victim had paid more attention she should have seen the oncoming vehicle and not stepped directly into its path.

 

We just dont know. Its a tragic accident and devastating to the family.

 

However, we must be really careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

 

Lets be honest, the only reason this is headline news is becuse its unfamiliar and unchartered technology controlled by that bogeyman of the newspapers known as Uber.

 

Last recorded stats show there were around 37,000 motor vehicle deaths in the USA. I wonder how many of them had this amount of press attention and the sort of hysteria being bandied about.

 

Driver control or computer control. Accidents happen.

[cgksheff]

I think this is an interesting summary:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/22/self-driving-car-uber-death-woman-failure-fatal-crash-arizona

 

It may not have changed the outcome, but the fact that the system failed to respond in any way is of concern.

[Cyclone]

Well, I am retired, but I have commuted quite a lot and gone on long drives, including Florida a few times. I cannot think why I would even own a car if I couldn't drive it. There is public transit for commuting and "trains and boats and planes" for long trips. By the way, my drives to Florida were all by me alone, the kids were too young to spell me and my wife doesn't drive.Of course, we stayed over a night in a motel about halfway. To be honest I used to enjoy it although the family were a pain sometimes with the"how much longer" stuff.

 

Don't confuse "self driving" with "can't be driven". They still have steering wheels and pedals, they can also operate independently.

 

There's lots of drives for me at least that aren't in the least bit fun, as I mentioned, crawling through traffic, and tomorrow I have to drive to Aberdeen, 6 hrs on unfamiliar roads. I'd welcome the chance to have the car drive up the motorway sections, they're not fun, just tedious.

[Fogey]

I think this is an interesting summary:

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/22/self-driving-car-uber-death-woman-failure-fatal-crash-arizona

 

It may not have changed the outcome, but the fact that the system failed to respond in any way is of concern.

 

I'm sure I had read somewhere that the road the car was on was either a 30 or 35mph limit, but I have also seen it claimed by the police that the car was doing 38mph. If the car was in autodrive mode how come it was speeding? assuming of course that the claims are correct? Surely this is one of the most basic rules that a driverless car should have no real problem sticking to, there is no sense of impatience, no ego.