Robotaxis Malfunction in San Francisco - Would You Ride in a Driverless Car?

[ronandannette]

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/19069713/driverless-robotaxis-block-street-hours/

Sorry, it's just a NO for me, probably ever. Are you adventurous enough to ride in one of these at this early stage of the technology's development? It's unclear from the reports whether these cars were occupied or not but the company does currently have approval to carry passengers in San Francisco.

 

[luvthatduke]

I cannot understand why any govt. here approved them.
They just ok'd the first TRUCKS to be tested here in the USA!

To answer your question: NO!

 

[barkley]

never inclined to do so, even less so since recently watching 'the new york times presents: elon musk's crash course'. terrifying.

 

[RamblingMad]

Remember the cabs in Total Recall.

 

[JoanneAZ]

No. I live in an area where one of the auto makers was testing their driverless cars. They creep me out. If I was in one I would be terrified of the thing malfunctioning, causing a crash, and killing me and/or others.

 

[_19disnA]

Would never get in one. Any of the ones currently on the roads are still being 'tested'. I have no interest in being their crash test dummy while they try to perfect these systems. The article is from the UK and not familiar with their laws, but I thought here in the US you needed some sort of permit to even do 'testing' of that type of vehicle. The software to control such vehicles would have to be ENORMOUSLY complex (and integrated with various sensors/cameras/radar/etc.) I wouldn't trust it to ever operate a car I am riding in. My current car has certain sensors for distance alerts and other similar things that routinely malfunction in rain or snow. Who thinks they can integrate all of those to make the car fully self-driving when they can't even get them to work for basic stand-alone tasks in normal driving conditions?

Even the software for my PC still occasionally stops working or requires me to reboot. I doubt anyone can write perfect software to make all of the thousands of random decisions you typically make while driving. It seems like a solution in search of a problem and no car manufacturer wants to be left behind so they are all chasing something most of us would refuse to ever use.

 

[Micca]

Are you adventurous enough to ride in one of these at this early stage of the technology's development?

No,but eventually they'll get it right. When they do, I'm all in

 

[Kitty 34]

It would be very hard to be a backseat driver in one of those!!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

We have just obtained an Eyewitness 5 interview with one of the taxi drivers.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I saw Upload...I will NEVER ride in a self-driving car...

 

[ronandannette]

Would never get in one. Any of the ones currently on the roads are still being 'tested'. I have no interest in being their crash test dummy while they try to perfect these systems. The article is from the UK and not familiar with their laws, but I thought here in the US you needed some sort of permit to even do 'testing' of that type of vehicle. The software to control such vehicles would have to be ENORMOUSLY complex (and integrated with various sensors/cameras/radar/etc.) I wouldn't trust it to ever operate a car I am riding in. My current car has certain sensors for distance alerts and other similar things that routinely malfunction in rain or snow. Who thinks they can integrate all of those to make the car fully self-driving when they can't even get them to work for basic stand-alone tasks in normal driving conditions?

Even the software for my PC still occasionally stops working or requires me to reboot. I doubt anyone can write perfect software to make all of the thousands of random decisions you typically make while driving. It seems like a solution in search of a problem and no car manufacturer wants to be left behind so they are all chasing something most of us would refuse to ever use.

The article was reporting on an incident in San Francisco last week. I linked it because it had the best picture but there are many others. The company is past the testing stage and currently has all the approvals they need to carry passengers in San Francisco.

Regarding driver-assists in new cars, my DH’s has automatic breaking. When he’s feeling naughty he’ll let it do it’s thing when I’m riding with him. He knows it practically stops my heart.

No,but eventually they'll get it right. When they do, I'm all in

Godspeed, Micca! You always did strike me as the “...to infinity and beyond” type.

 

[_19disnA]

The article was reporting on an incident in San Francisco last week.

OK good to know. I saw the url ended in .uk and assumed that is where it took place. Just glanced over the article and didn't read all of it. I assume they have some sort of permit to do their 'testing'? I still have ZERO plans to be one of their guinea pigs............LOL.

 

[LuvOrlando]

It's fine as a backup system for safety interventions that a driver can ultimately override but not a thing that strikes me as a great idea.

If we can't seem to stop hacking of anything ever then why on earth would anyone willingly climb into a giant hackable vehicle watched over by private industry monitored by people/systems etc. located heaven knows where? Seems like a double dog dare to me, too appealing to wrongdoers for me.

 

[_19disnA]

The cars in the article were apparently driverless which is part of the reason it took so long to resolve the problem. Employees from the company had to arrive and move the cars out of the road. IF they had drivers in the car then I wouldn't really call them 'driverless'. No software is ever perfect and usually requires people to be able to monitor or take over when something malfunctions.

 

[WhatDinosaur]

It's fine as a backup system for safety interventions that a driver can ultimately override but not a thing that strikes me as a great idea.

If we can't seem to stop hacking of anything ever then why on earth would anyone willingly climb into a giant hackable vehicle watched over by private industry monitored by people/systems etc. located heaven knows where? Seems like a double dog dare to me, too appealing to wrongdoers for me.

Cars are already so computerized that hacking is possible.

 

[NotUrsula]

Now? No, not in the technology's current state. In a few years, perhaps, when they have a better handle on it.

 

[ronandannette]

For those who are interested in driverless rides (when they evolve), can you tell me why? What problem are we trying to solve here? Is it just a matter of "if we (maybe) can, we should"?

 

[NotUrsula]

I think they have a definite future on certain regular routes, especially those with price controls that taxi drivers prefer not to do. I think they would work best as a lower-cost alternative to trains, running on dedicated roadway loops.

 

[willowsnn3]

That would be a no for me. I work for a driving school & had to drive one of our driver's ed cars one day. Just the sight of the second steering wheel turning by itself when I turned the driver's side one creeped me out.

 

[MillauFr]

For those who are interested in driverless rides (when they evolve), can you tell me why? What problem are we trying to solve here? Is it just a matter of "if we (maybe) can, we should"?

You don't think 40,000+ people killed and millions injured every year in the United States is a problem?