Railways, Tramways, Busways, Driverless Vehicles

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  • Tobster86
    Tobster86 Posts: 782 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    A driverless pod would only interest me for long motorway journeys; so I could sit back, have a beer, play with my phablet and listen to the radio.

    My daily commute would still be on the bicycle, or in a manually operated vehicle that provides the option of discretion to compensate for unpunctuality.
  • armyknife
    armyknife Posts: 596 Forumite
    I've been Money Tipped!
    Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »
    Wow that's some statement there. Care to back it up?


    Given I live in the biggest city in the UK I have even given up getting the tube to and from work along with many others round where I live because cycling is so much better and funnily enough , less overcrowded. Even in bad weather like today I cycled in.


    And there's no way a driverless pod will make me change my mind.

    Quiet there, he KNOWS what is best for you.
  • modsandmockers
    modsandmockers Posts: 752 Forumite
    Here’s an interesting scare story...

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2946436/Ban-tailgating-scrapped-major-rewrite-Highway-Code-allow-driverless-cars-Britain-s-roads.html

    ...especially this bit - "so recommended passing distances to cyclists and pedestrians may have to be changed to prevent self-driving vehicles clogging up highways across the country. Under the existing Highway Code, drivers overtaking cyclists are expected to leave as much room as they would leave for a car. The official review into driverless cars, to be published on Wednesday, will confirm that the Highway Code will need to be reviewed"

    Probably, the reality will be that fully automated cars will operate to their own set of rules, which will be a modified version of the general set of rules. In some respects, this already applies to trucks and buses. However, it is hard to imagine that a single cyclist would be allowed to be so close to a fast-moving platoon of fully automated vehicles that a single wobble could bring the whole shebang to a sudden stop.
    mad mocs - the pavement worrier
  • frisbeej
    frisbeej Posts: 183 Forumite
    modsandmockers wrote: »
    Here’s an interesting scare story...

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2946436/Ban-tailgating-scrapped-major-rewrite-Highway-Code-allow-driverless-cars-Britain-s-roads.html

    ...especially this bit - "so recommended passing distances to cyclists and pedestrians may have to be changed to prevent self-driving vehicles clogging up highways across the country. Under the existing Highway Code, drivers overtaking cyclists are expected to leave as much room as they would leave for a car. The official review into driverless cars, to be published on Wednesday, will confirm that the Highway Code will need to be reviewed"

    Probably, the reality will be that fully automated cars will operate to their own set of rules, which will be a modified version of the general set of rules. In some respects, this already applies to trucks and buses. However, it is hard to imagine that a single cyclist would be allowed to be so close to a fast-moving platoon of fully automated vehicles that a single wobble could bring the whole shebang to a sudden stop.

    Really? The Daily Fail?

    The one word response "liability".

    The longer response:

    Self driving cars are only going to be self driving in a very limited set of controlled circumstances e.g. a quiet motorway. A driver will have to be prepared to take over at a few seconds notice.

    They aren't going to be trundling around town doing the school run.

    Bolting a sailing boat style radar reflector to a bike would be funny, that would cause carnage with self driving cars, "does not compute!".
  • modsandmockers
    modsandmockers Posts: 752 Forumite
    I think this bit is the key … 'The report is expected to distinguish between 'highly automated cars' fitted with steering wheels and pedals in which motorists will be expected to take control at any time, and 'fully' automated cars, where a licence will not be required because they are essentially a passenger in 'a car which is capable of operating on the road network without human intervention.'

    A ‘highly automated car’ sounds to me like the worst possible compromise - a driver will need to maintain normal levels of driver concentration and readiness whilst trying to convince him/herself that there is no need to intervene. That’s what I call a recipe for disaster.
    mad mocs - the pavement worrier
  • Tobster86
    Tobster86 Posts: 782 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    So on single carriageways, it'll be impossible to overtake 40mph lorries because there'll be a convoy of autonomously driven vehicles right up it's !!!!. Great.

    Wait a minute... that already happens!
  • modsandmockers
    modsandmockers Posts: 752 Forumite
    Tobster86 wrote: »
    So on single carriageways, it'll be impossible to overtake 40mph lorries because there'll be a convoy of autonomously driven vehicles right up it's !!!!. Great.

    Wait a minute... that already happens!
    Yes - it’s really annoying when the ‘vehicle’ in front of you hogs the lane whilst travelling at around half the speed which the queue of following road users would regard as normal for that particular stretch of road.

    This is one of the issues which driverless technology should be able to sort out, if it ever becomes a reality.
    mad mocs - the pavement worrier
  • Tobster86
    Tobster86 Posts: 782 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    modsandmockers wrote: »
    Yes - it’s really annoying when the ‘vehicle’ in front of you hogs the lane whilst travelling at around half the speed which the queue of following road users would regard as normal for that particular stretch of road.

    No, it's not. What is annoying is when the following vehicles never overtake, and follow it too closely; thus making it harder for anyone else to overtake. They have created the queue, not the lorry (or I suppose cyclist, which your post seems to insinuate another cheap dig at).
  • modsandmockers
    modsandmockers Posts: 752 Forumite
    edited 7 April 2015 at 1:43AM
    Tobs - please correct me if I am wrong….

    When you are hogging the lane on your bike, it is the overtaking motorist who is in the wrong?

    But when you are in your super-duper motorcar, it is the non-overtaking of motorists which causes you problems?

    But Tobs is never wrong, right?

    Tobs - you have a very poor attitude, and I think Brat should place you under immediate arrest, to be released only when you have been completely superseded by the artificial intelligence of driverless vehicles.
    mad mocs - the pavement worrier
  • brat
    brat Posts: 2,533 Forumite
    modsandmockers wrote: »
    Tobs - please correct me if I am wrong….

    So tempting...

    ... but I'll leave this for Tobster, his barb is much sharper than mine...
    :)
    Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.
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