http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-selfdriving-idUSKCN1BB2BTSo congress is set to vote next week to block states from being able to regulate the number of "Self Driving" cars on their roads.
If it were up to me AV's would be flat out illegal!
After decades of be castigated for driving a "Gas Guzzler" and "Gross Polluter", or for "Driving alone" by self-rightous greenies claiming to "Save the environment" we are now being pushed to embrace these waste of fuel?
Cars that will be "Dispatched" to run errands WITH NO OCCUPANT, "Hailed" to pick up passengers so running empty in one direction, etc.
If you've ever had a computer glitch you should also have a clue why I do not trust this tech to share the road with me.
I expect the inevitable failures to be spectacular and catastrophic.
Despite decades of "Autopilot" use in commercial aircraft they still require TWO pilots in the cabin.
But cars that will see much more common use and are a new application should be trusted with no one in control?
My main concern of course is that once AV's (Autonomous vehicles) become more common they will soon be mandated, and our enthusiast cars restricted or banned outright.Maybe the iPhone generation has no problem with that, but I find driving to be just about the last Semi-Free activity we are allowed to participate in without having to make special arrangements.
Do we really want our classic and enthusiast cars restricted to "Track days" and 10 MPH parades?
As always I expect the uber-wealthy will be given a special consideration of some sort, the pols cannot have the folk who fund the campaigns getting PO'ed as they lose the investment value of THEIR classics!
I've already called my congressman today to oppose this garbage, I suggest the rest of us do so as well.
This is a real threat, and yes it is political, but to ignore it is to ensure the destruction of our hobby much sooner than most folk realize.
Remember when "lead" was mandated to be removed from our gas, and the conequences to MANY cars.
This will be MUCH worse!
All they have to do is refuse to register any car without approved AI.
Posted to this specific forum to try to avoid being locked for being " Too Political".
Trying to spread the warning before it is too late.
An article proclaiming that this "Utopia" is closer than many realize.
http://fortune.com/2015/10/02/google-self-driving-cars-soon/Quote:
Most auto executives have predicted that a commercial autonomous car is a decade or more away. But Google seems to be on a path to have a self-driving car on the market far sooner.
Chris Urmson, Google's director of the self-driving cars division, was asked when, specifically, such a vehicle might be available for purchase, he indicated a four-year time horizon. “I have a 12-year-old son," he said. "My goal is for him not to need a driver’s license.” In California, you can get a driver's license at the age of 16.
(Pity his kid, the car will report EVERYWHERE he goes, goodbye to any chance at a normal teen-age social life!)