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How will this impact one of the key arguments for self-driving cars: elimination of DUIs? If a driver is required behind the wheel able to take over at a momen
by abduhl 11y ago
How will this impact one of the key arguments for self-driving cars: elimination of DUIs?
If a driver is required behind the wheel able to take over at a moment's notice then the self-driving car's purpose is defeated - you cannot do work while the car drives, you can't use the car as a sober ride home from the bar, you can't take a nap on your commute, etc.
This is a legislated death sentence for self-driving cars as we envision them.
- gkoberger 11y agoWhile I agree that it defeats many of the purposes (including Uber-style services), remember that this legislation is in response to current state of self-driving cars. Once they get better, legislation can become more lax.
- abduhl 11y agoAs a general rule of thumb, legislation never becomes more lax.
- gkoberger 11y agoThat's a silly thing to say. Uber and AirBnb were illegal when they launched. You couldn't use your phone on an airplane during takeoff until recently. The original speed limit for cars was "no faster than walking". With the lobbying power of Google, Tesla, Apple and all the car manufactures? It will change.
- michaelmrose 11y agoActually it most likely will lag years or more likely decades behind the capability of the cars because the people that stand to profit from such rules limiting the usefulness of self driving cars.
- Someone1234 11y agoLittle soon to be doomsaying. First generation self driving vehicles might have these types of limitations, but second generation? Third generation? Ten generation? It is all about building trust. Truth for the general public, and those who will be held responsible if something goes wrong. Aircraft still, to this day, have this exact system. Ask any pilot if the system is pointless simply because they have to be paying attention? It still requires less mental energy than actually driving, in particular for longer road trips where the mind wonders.
- dawnbreez 11y agoThe main issue with the legislation is that it's slow to overturn it once we're ready.
- Someone1234 11y agoWhich is fine. Trust is built slowly and the public should have a chance to debate it. If most of the public thinks it is "common sense" (by that stage) that self-driving cars are safe, then we're in a good place to be overturning it. This is one place, public safety, where "move fast and break things" doesn't work because those things will be literally people.
- Fricken 11y agoWe're talking about driving here; we already move fast and break things, that's the problem. Google's koala cars move slow and have a foam front end.