StandardShift.com

Actually, I thought I might drive slowly in the left lane so everybody would be sure to see me and admire this beautiful car. I actually saw a ghetto-chrome sedan doing that on the freeway. The guy made a sweeping entry to the freeway all the way to the left lane, drove under the speed limit, then in a couple miles, a sweeping right exit from the left lane.

The Model A would have to be a retirement car for casual driving on roads not to exceed 50 mph. Might have to do some performance mods to the engine.

No, until I retire and don't have to drive the freeway to get to work, I will set my sights on a late 60s car, maybe a 200 cid inline six Falcon with column shifted 3-speed.

That's gotta be pretty dangerous around there. From what I have seen of Detroit they are pretty good for driving bumper to bumper as fast as they can hold it in the road.....whether the car falls apart or not.

In marked contrast with any present day domestic automobile, the Model A was a completely honest product.

--from the publisher of "Model A: the Gem from the Ford Rouge" 1975. I am reading this book and wanting that Model A.

In an interview at the New York Auto Show, John Krafcik, former CEO of American Hyundai posed a question that went something like this: So if 40,000 people were dying annually in the US from traffic accidents and 10 years from now the entire fleet of US vehicles could be converted to autonomous vehicles such that there were no more drunk-driving or human-error traffic fatalities, but 10,000 people per annum would still died in automobile accidents, will that be the future we choose?

He said no, because it is more acceptable that, through their own free will, drivers cause 40,000 death per year rather than that through programming errors, sensor deficiencies, etc. autonomous vehicles were unable to prevent accidents that led to 10,000 deaths.



Turn your phone off and concentrate on your driving!

What? Is this guy on crack?

tankinbeans wrote:What? Is this guy on crack?

I think he has a very astute mind.

Unless product liability laws change drastically, there will be no place to hide for an autonomous vehicle manufacturer whose product misreads a lane marker.

I hadn't thought of this, our wonderfully litigious society. Now it makes some sense as to what he said (in a strictly business minded way).

tankinbeans wrote:I hadn't thought of this, our wonderfully litigious society. Now it makes some sense as to what he said (in a strictly business minded way).

We dont take kindly to your kind round here boy

tankinbeans wrote:I hadn't thought of this, our wonderfully litigious society. Now it makes some sense as to what he said (in a strictly business minded way).

Have you been following any of the saga of the GM ignition switch? "What led you to decide to release the baby-killing ignition switch design in these cars?"

Only loosely. I don't own any of the affected models and don't really feel compelled to make my blood boil over it.

Keep in mind that the quote frames it in a wide overview, but the decisions are made on an individual level. I'd rather take my chances with me in control than have a better, but not completely eliminated, risk with an autonomous car. I think I'm pretty darned good at what I do, and also, I think I'm in very-low-traffic situations where the statistics are better and the autonomous vehicle technology would not have such an advantage.

theholycow wrote:Keep in mind that the quote frames it in a wide overview, but the decisions are made on an individual level. I'd rather take my chances with me in control than have a better, but not completely eliminated, risk with an autonomous car. I think I'm pretty darned good at what I do, and also, I think I'm in very-low-traffic situations where the statistics are better and the autonomous vehicle technology would not have such an advantage.

Mee too- I haven't kilt myselph yet!

I'm the same way - I feel like I'm in control as long as I have one hand on the wheel, but at the same time, I realize that this sense of security is somewhat illusory. Even the best drivers are exposed to many risks beyond their control every time they use a public road. Statistically, I believe commercial air travel is one of the safest way to travel even though passengers relinquish all control when they step on a plane. (Not that it is very practical for most of us to commute to work on a jetliner.)

As for product liability exposure, how do we know that an auto manufacturer's overall risk would rise in a world of fully-automated vehicles? I suppose that could be the case - and I'd wager that the insurance industry has surely started pondering it - but you would need more information than is available within this thread to reach that conclusion.

theholycow wrote:Keep in mind that the quote frames it in a wide overview, but the decisions are made on an individual level. I'd rather take my chances with me in control than have a better, but not completely eliminated, risk with an autonomous car. I think I'm pretty darned good at what I do, and also, I think I'm in very-low-traffic situations where the statistics are better and the autonomous vehicle technology would not have such an advantage.

One advantage in the horse and buggy days, is that the horse was not drunk, and the drunk. I suspect there wer fewer vehicular accidents in those days, but then there was the disease factor from having horse manure all over the roads.

Another reason for autonomous cars is they will be able to pack more cars on the roadway, thus helping solve traffic problems without having to build bigger roads.

InlinePaul wrote: One advantage in the horse and buggy days, is that the horse was not drunk, and the drunk. I suspect there wer fewer vehicular accidents in those days, but then there was the disease factor from having horse manure all over the roads.

Another reason for autonomous cars is they will be able to pack more cars on the roadway, thus helping solve traffic problems without having to build bigger roads.

Manure on the road? I would have pooped my panse too!