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The Self-Driving Cars Wearing a Cone of Shame
(slate.com)
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this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2023
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There is a big difference between a self driving car that is monitored by a human and a car driving entirely on its own.
I wholeheartedly believe that electronic driver's aids can improve traffic safety (ESC, ABS etc.), but they need to aid the driver and not replace them.
I'd like to point to how aircraft pilots are using their autopilot and other electronic aids in that they give control of the airplane to the computer but continuously monitor the plane and make sure everything is working properly even though aircraft are much more straight forward to fly for a computer than cars are to drive.
I gotta disagree here. Our goal of we want cars to be around should be to replace ALL human drivers. Especially on highways. Cars can communicate with other cars, which would almost completely remove congestion and traffic from people who’ve never heard of zipper merging and people who refuse to let anyone in front of them ever because they need to save that three seconds.
People drive like assholes. Road rage incidents are not infrequent. People speed, drive drunk, cut people off, forget their exit and do incredibly stupid and dangerous things to get back instead of getting off on the next one, and overall should not be trusted piloting a 2,000 pound missile around other folks.
If every car was self driving, then safety on the road would skyrocket. Travel time would drop drastically. There would be no downsides (other than it won’t solve the US’s car-centric design). Am I saying we are ready? No.
I’m saying “they need to aid the driver and not replace them” is way off base. Idk what your commute is like, but I’d feel a million times safer if asshole A didnt drive around blaring his horn and brake checking me because I’m only going ten mph over the speed limit and not the 20 everyone else is, while asshole B is riding my ass trying to get me to speed up, leaving me 0 space to brake in an emergency.
These problems could be solved with better road design, better rules and better drivers education.
Especially the lack of drivers education in the US knocked me out of my socks.
In Germany where I live we have 14 mandatory theory lessons in 90 minute blocks.
You also need to complete at least 12 practical lessons in 45 minute blocks (most people take double the amount) of which 4 are on country roads, 5 on the highway and 3 at night. The driving test is done by a non-affiliated third party and you need to be at least 18 years old to drive alone.
After all this you still need to drive for 2 years without any major infractions on your record to keep your license.
I believe we should also do mandatory safety training every few years.
In Germany the situation isn't perfect either but I've never experienced thinks like road rage in my life and the worst drivers are almost always foreigners, although I don't know why because I thought driving license requirements are comparably strict across Europe.
Edit: when I'm talking about Europe I'm not talking about the Balkan states. People act and drive like maniacs over there (my cousins were amazed that I could drive a car without them clinging to dear life :D).
You must have experienced a different Germany than I have. Lots of incompetent or asshole drivers on the roads. IMO that has nothing (very little) to do with driver education, and everything to do with drivers‘ mentality, as it’s very different regionally within Germany.
Rules also don’t help if not enforced. What are you suggesting? Lower the speed limit another 10, so they can now go 30 above instead of 20?
I've driven pretty much everywhere in Germany except Bavaria and I've never experienced a horror show such as @DeadlineX described or what I regularly see in dash cam footage.
I may need to get a dash cam myself though to collect proper evidence of German driving behavior.
In my experience the worst drivers are from Hanover and would be interested if anyone can confirm or deny that.
To properly encourage appropriate driving speed proper road design is needed.
On a highway in the Czech Republic for instance I've noticed that the lane dividing markings are shorter and closer together between the first and second lane which made it easy to drive the 130km/h limit without looking at the speedometer because the sense of speed was greatly increased while on the highway in Germany I feel quite comfortable at 200km/h while at 130km/h I feel like a snail barely moving forward.