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> ...is there anything people resent more than driving? I for one absolutely love driving; it's the traffic-filled commutes to and from the office every day

> ...is there anything people resent more than driving? I for one absolutely love driving; it's the traffic-filled commutes to and from the office every day that I resent. If I could optionally automate the driving for times when I don't want to be driving, ie, in highway traffic jams, on long road trips, or when I'm tired, then I would gladly pay extra for the option.

mmorris 16y ago
This is exactly how I feel, and I think it plays right into the "Advanced Cruise Control" perspective. A mode that one might use on highways (whether on a long trip or stuck in stop-and-go traffic), where there are much lower risks of unexpected pedestrians/bicyclists/blind driveways/etc (and thus lower liability risks). Also, I have to add that this is the kind of research that I love that Google is doing. I might not love everything they do, but I don't think there are more than a handful of corporations actually pushing things forward with far-out, jump-into-the-deep-end projects the way they are.
noibl 16y ago
Surely "when I'm tired" is one of the situations in which this tech should not be used. In Australia, for example, where long-distance driving is common, fatigue is one of the biggest contributors to road accident statistics. Apart from the risk of someone actually falling asleep while the car is on auto-pilot, anything that reduces one's alertness over the duration of a drive makes this technology more dangerous (which is not to categorise it as dangerous). The road recognition features would deal with simple cases like drifting out of lane but not so much in built-up areas or around unpredictable drivers. I think a big part of safe driving is adapting to accommodate the behaviour of other road users. Hopefully some tech will be developed in this area such as recognising inappropriate signalling, drifting out of lane, tailgating (ahead) etc.

mmorris 16y ago

This is exactly how I feel, and I think it plays right into the "Advanced Cruise Control" perspective. A mode that one might use on highways (whether on a long trip or stuck in stop-and-go traffic), where there are much lower risks of unexpected pedestrians/bicyclists/blind driveways/etc (and thus lower liability risks). Also, I have to add that this is the kind of research that I love that Google is doing. I might not love everything they do, but I don't think there are more than a handful of corporations actually pushing things forward with far-out, jump-into-the-deep-end projects the way they are.

noibl 16y ago

Surely "when I'm tired" is one of the situations in which this tech should not be used. In Australia, for example, where long-distance driving is common, fatigue is one of the biggest contributors to road accident statistics. Apart from the risk of someone actually falling asleep while the car is on auto-pilot, anything that reduces one's alertness over the duration of a drive makes this technology more dangerous (which is not to categorise it as dangerous). The road recognition features would deal with simple cases like drifting out of lane but not so much in built-up areas or around unpredictable drivers. I think a big part of safe driving is adapting to accommodate the behaviour of other road users. Hopefully some tech will be developed in this area such as recognising inappropriate signalling, drifting out of lane, tailgating (ahead) etc.