Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms what is the point in autonomous cars?

Cars are used to transport people from A to B. So why build complex and expensive software and hardware to drive the car when a complex and expensive piece of human hardware gets in the car anyway? Where is the benefit?

Some people will mutter about road accidents. Thats a case that has to be proven but in some areas it obviously wont work any better. Black ice, idiot cyclists, drunken pedestrians, tyre blowouts etc. But nevertheless there might be some gain in fatalities. But thats a gain that could be achieved by adopting the technologies from F1 anyway - how long since drivers were killed in F1?

Plus autonomous cars will no doubt stick to the speed limits. Literally. Ever single meter of road. That will slow traffic and that in turn will have an economic costs which to some degree will filter through to deaths and injuries. A less vibrant economy can only support a less capable health service for example.

Computers cant use judgement. They can only use rules

I cant help but feel that the driverless car is a PC bandwagon rather than something that will prove useful and real. A bit like the paperless office or supersonic flight or twitter.

More to the point, would you use one..?

I believe that the answer is simple: a significant percentage of drivers derive no pleasure from driving, it is a chore they would like to pass to someone, or something, else.

Even for those of us that like to drive there are times when it isn't fun....the morning drive up the M3 to LHR, the M6 at any time, I could go on.
Would I buy an autonomous car? Not yet.
But I will not say "never".

Howard, I see no problem when cars stick to the speed limit.
I got trad. Mogs to drive slow and feel fast.
Without goggles you will hardly excess the legal speed limit in a M3W .

Years ago you could spot what was what . Now they must all be thought up the same bloke and come out of the same factory EURO BOXES . Remove the badges and how many will know what it is .

But there is sticking to the speed limit and sticking to the speed limit. I dont normally break the limits and have had a clean licence for at least 20 year. But that doesnt mean that my car never drifts up to 32 mph in a 30 limit or 75mph in a 70 limit. Those speeds are within the "tolerance" and in any case who can watch the speedo all the time. Indeed, it wouldnt be safe to do so.

But an autonomous vehicle will have to be programmed never to exceed the limit under any circumstances at all. So whilst I might overtake a car travelling at 27mph and in so doing reach 35 mph, the autonomous car will never overtake. To do so with a 3mph speed difference would be dangerous. In effect you are taking common sense out of the equation and substituting blind obedience.

Autonomous cars, no thanks. I like driving and the feel of the road, that is why I own a Morgan and ride motorcycles. If at one point I get to old and no longer can drive myself then maybe.

You can have all the safety gadjets and trickry you want in a Motor, but at the end of the day you need 2 things

A good safe Driver
A good set of Tyres

As people that enjoy the driving experience we are probably a dying breed. In the brave new 'digital' future, people won't want cars they will just want mobility.

That will come as a number of means to take you from where you are to where you want to be and thats all it needs to do. It certainly won't involve drivers.

Sounds boring doesn't it?

I think it's probably going to end up like flying. Nearly all of us are quite happy to be flown around the place by aircraft which are pretty much under constant computer control. Some people go to the time, effort, and expense of getting a private pilot's licence and doing it themselves, but they are very much in the minority.

I'd be perfectly happy with an autonomous car for the routine stuff, especially when the technology gets to the point of not requiring any driver input at all. It will be like having one's own personal chauffeur-driven car, but without having to worry about the chauffeur wanting the evening off.