Amtrak

[clintonhater]

Let's hope that autonomously-driven vehicles help solve this problem.

Before that happens, how 'bout we demand enforcement of laws already on the books that limit how long a truck driver can drive without stopping to sleep.

[Allen]

Yeaaaa nobody died this time.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ng-125mph.html

[Vern Humphrey]

Before that happens, how 'bout we demand enforcement of laws already on the books that limit how long a truck driver can drive without stopping to sleep.

That's one of the things driving the development of autonominously-driven vehicles. The driver has to sleep, the truck doesn't. It can run 23 hours a day, so with autonomous-drive, you get two trucks for the price of one.

[leftyo]

That's one of the things driving the development of autonominously-driven vehicles. The driver has to sleep, the truck doesn't. It can run 23 hours a day, so with autonomous-drive, you get two trucks for the price of one.

thats what the trains are for, 2 or 3 guys can move what it takes hundreds of trucks to move, and get it done quicker.for the amount of material moved, commercial trains are quite safe, its the amtrak line that generally has safety issues (this one accident not being their fault for once).

[dryheat]

I like auto pilot in planes. Maybe on ships. Alpha star cruisers, certainly. Cars and trucks? Not so much.

[Vern Humphrey]

thats what the trains are for, 2 or 3 guys can move what it takes hundreds of trucks to move, and get it done quicker.for the amount of material moved, commercial trains are quite safe, its the amtrak line that generally has safety issues (this one accident not being their fault for once).

But trains don't go everywhere. Trucks are still needed. And autonomously driven trucks will be safer and much cheaper.

[clintonhater]

But trains don't go everywhere.

They used to--almost. Before most lines were driven into bankruptcy by competition with trucks, which had the competitive advantage of highways provided at tax-payer expense; every analysis of the decline of American railroading reaches this conclusion. Yes, trucks were needed for short hauls, but they weren't hauling freight coast to coast as now.

Don't doubt robot-trucks would be cheaper, but safer??? You've got to be kidding.

[Vern Humphrey]

They used to--almost. Before most lines were driven into bankruptcy by competition with trucks, which had the competitive advantage of highways provided at tax-payer expense; every analysis of the decline of American railroading reaches this conclusion. Yes, trucks were needed for short hauls, but they weren't hauling freight coast to coast as now.

Don't doubt robot-trucks would be cheaper, but safer??? You've got to be kidding.

As things stand, self-driven automobiles have racked up millions of miles, with no accidents caused by the self-driven vehicles (although some human-driven vehicles have caused accidents with them.)

[dryheat]

As things stand, self-driven automobiles have racked up millions of miles,-

On the test track? How many of these things are actually out on the road?

[leftyo]

off the top of my head, i believe tesla's self driver has had accidents on the road. dont know about others as its not a big topic of interest for me.

[clintonhater]

off the top of my head, i believe tesla's self driver has had accidents on the road. dont know about others as its not a big topic of interest for me.

Don't have 50 grand to spend on one? I don't either, though I'd love to have any kind of electric, long as I, not it, was doing the driving.

[Vern Humphrey]

off the top of my head, i believe tesla's self driver has had accidents on the road. dont know about others as its not a big topic of interest for me.

From https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/b...tal-crash.html

Eight months after a fatal crash involving a Tesla Motors car operating in a computer-assisted mode, federal auto-safety regulators said their investigation of the car found no defects in the system that caused the accident and said Tesla’s Autopilot-enabled vehicles did not need to be recalled.

[JB White]

Vern, that article sums up what I have always seen as a fault/faults in the system. So, the system worked as designed but the system isn't up to snuff as it should be. It couldn't identify an 18 wheeler in bright sunlight. The driver wasn't paying attention. There was seven seconds to react but it didn't. It doesn't need to be recalled so long as a driver is paying attention and keeps his/her hands on the wheel at all times.

If it couldn't tell an 18 wheeler at an intersection due to extenuating circumstances, what about simpler things we don't often encounter. Can it tell the difference between a ball rolling into the road and a paper cup? Can it tell the difference between a hotdog wrapper and a kid's loose kite? Can it see whether or not the deer in the ditch is browsing or looking to possibly bolt? Will it suddenly stop or know to change lanes to get that extra 11 feet just in case it does?

Doesn't matter how many miles are logged as it can't compare to the trillions being driven on the roads regularly. The system cannot compensate for human nature and complacency when work is turned over to a machine.

[leftyo]

Vern, that article sums up what I have always seen as a fault/faults in the system. So, the system worked as designed but the system isn't up to snuff as it should be. It couldn't identify an 18 wheeler in bright sunlight. The driver wasn't paying attention. There was seven seconds to react but it didn't. It doesn't need to be recalled so long as a driver is paying attention and keeps his/her hands on the wheel at all times.

If it couldn't tell an 18 wheeler at an intersection due to extenuating circumstances, what about simpler things we don't often encounter. Can it tell the difference between a ball rolling into the road and a paper cup? Can it tell the difference between a hotdog wrapper and a kid's loose kite? Can it see whether or not the deer in the ditch is browsing or looking to possibly bolt? Will it suddenly stop or know to change lanes to get that extra 11 feet just in case it does?

Doesn't matter how many miles are logged as it can't compare to the trillions being driven on the roads regularly. The system cannot compensate for human nature and complacency when work is turned over to a machine.

correct, you have to read the full article to comprehend what it says. short summary is driverless vehicles arent happening yet.