Rise of the Machines

[R650R]

Well automated vehicles are coming sooner than we think. We need to work out what are the issues and dangers we will face as bikers and the impact on our riding styles. Who will be legally responsible when one of these machines has some kind of failure and kills a biker?
Will we still be able to overtake and brap past in the same manner as now or will it autoreport other vehicles 'non compliant' road user behaviour?
Reading another forum about automated trucks it seems now that the drivers logbook hours wont be an issue, owners will be happy for the trucks to travel at slower speeds for better fuel economy. I expect the owners/leasee's of automated cars will want to do the same. So on nice flowing roads where most people manage a good average speed, these nanabots will be pissing around like sunday drivers 7 days a week and adhering to the ltsa recommended cornering speeds etc.
How will an automated vehicle cope with coming up behind a truck in wet weather where the size of truck and its spray will block its view ahead. I dont thinkt hese machines will relaise the same overtaking opportunities that drivers might.
Of course evnetually they will all commnicate together but in the mean time we will be heading into dangerous and frustrating times with these things.....
What will they do on a cow crap covered highway where a farmer has just moved stock?

[ellipsis]

...Questions, questions, questions...I wonder what's for lunch?...will it be burnt?...

[Akzle]

Well automated vehicles are coming sooner than we think. We need to work out what are the issues and dangers we will face as bikers and the impact on our riding styles. Who will be legally responsible when one of these machines has some kind of failure and kills a biker?
Will we still be able to overtake and brap past in the same manner as now or will it autoreport other vehicles 'non compliant' road user behaviour?
Reading another forum about automated trucks it seems now that the drivers logbook hours wont be an issue, owners will be happy for the trucks to travel at slower speeds for better fuel economy. I expect the owners/leasee's of automated cars will want to do the same. So on nice flowing roads where most people manage a good average speed, these nanabots will be pissing around like sunday drivers 7 days a week and adhering to the ltsa recommended cornering speeds etc.
How will an automated vehicle cope with coming up behind a truck in wet weather where the size of truck and its spray will block its view ahead. I dont thinkt hese machines will relaise the same overtaking opportunities that drivers might.
Of course evnetually they will all commnicate together but in the mean time we will be heading into dangerous and frustrating times with these things.....
What will they do on a cow crap covered highway where a farmer has just moved stock?

personally, i will never own one. (there may come a time when teh govt mandate them, or force others off the road through ridiculous licensing/fees etc. hurrah for civil disobedience)

i will also probably never own an automatic, nor anything with "traction control"
i HATE having to second guess a computer, and have yet to meet one that can keep up with me. (to say nothing of the associated maintenance implications: paying an IT guy to tune my vehicle? no thanks.)

average speed would increase. particularly where they'll be most useful (town) as drivers are the biggest impediment to traffic flow. failing to give way SLOWS EVERYONE DOWN, so too, failing to merge. riding peoples asses and being on your brakes all the time is inefficient, annoying and stupid, running red lights SLOWS TRAFFIC DOWN.
overtaking becomes irrelevant. (so do traffic lights for that matter)

there is no reason traffic cant merge and flow at 120+ kph. except stupid ass townies that feel the need to be 3 feet off the car in front and not let anyone "get ahead of them", can't hold 60 through a corner but will speed up to 115 at any passing chance you might have.

easier solution: kill all the townies.

as to the big-brother shit, nevermind the cars, the tracker in your pocket will do. and you'll be microchipped before too long.

vote akzle.

[Banditbandit]

What about hacker protection? How will these vehicles be protected from psychopathic and assassin hackers?

Will the Popo have remote control and the ability to turn off your engine?

What's the capital of Venezuela?

[Akzle]

Will the Popo have remote control and the ability to turn off your engine?

yes. in fact they're already trying it in the states. (various legal hurdles, what, with all the cops being psychopaths)

your insurance company has the "key" to your remote engine management system - they can prevent the car being started (if stolen, or if you're late paying) or even start it remotely.... this is years old technology! but spreading like cancer...

for your benefit, obviously, because if your car DOES get stolen they can lock the doors, immobilise it and phone the police while the crims trash their way out.

[Akzle]

What's the capital of Venezuela?

caracas (yes i had to search for it. who gives a shit??)

[HenryDorsetCase]

What about hacker protection? How will these vehicles be protected from psychopathic and assassin hackers?

Will the Popo have remote control and the ability to turn off your engine?

What's the capital of Venezuela?

Been done: those Jeeps were hacked a year or so back.

Caracas

[pritch]

There was the recent incident in the USA where the driverless car went straight under a truck killing the occupant. (Can't really call him a driver.)
The truck was painted a similar colour to the sky so the car didn't see it.

SMIDSY from a driverless car, a world first?

[Gremlin]

So on nice flowing roads where most people manage a good average speed, these nanabots will be pissing around like sunday drivers 7 days a week and adhering to the ltsa recommended cornering speeds etc.
How will an automated vehicle cope with coming up behind a truck in wet weather where the size of truck and its spray will block its view ahead. I dont thinkt hese machines will relaise the same overtaking opportunities that drivers might.

Well based on the average road user (lets not call them drivers), machines can probably do a better job. For rain, it's OK. Currently they can't drive in it, so for your average Auckland day (where it usually rains at least once just to remind you) there will be a lot less traffic.

That said, Merc is doing some really cool teaming stuff with their trucks.

[Mike.Gayner]

Globally, over a million people a year die in traffic accidents. Automatic vehicles have the potential to drop this number to a fraction of what it is today. Bring it on.

[Akzle]

Globally, over a million people a year die in traffic accidents. Automatic vehicles have the potential to drop this number to a fraction of what it is today. Bring it on.

errrr, why??
the planet is well overpopulated as is... since the majority* of people that die in car crashes are idiots (evidenced by the fact that they crashed), this is no loss at all to society and could even be considered as "for the greater good"




*probably

[george formby]

I recently read an article by a guy who works in cyber security, or some such. He bought a VW knowing that the car (and many other brands) reports back to a VW server somewhere. All the sat nav and sensor info from the car. He tried to get this "feature" disabled by the dealer. No chance, they were clueless. Same deal with VW, the answer was "you can't turn it off." He tried himself, pulled the dash to bits, no joy, still transmitting. Eventually somebody at VW got in touch and sent him back to the dealer who had been given the info on switching off the data transmitter. Hmmmmmm.

A lot of modern cars do the same thing, ostensibly so the manufacturers can refine the product...... Nice of them to tell us.

As for automated cars and meat controlled bikes? Heaven. Machines are predictable, they won't speed up on overtaking lanes or slam the brakes on mid corner.

As for the topless Tesla, radar won't be far off. I believe systems are being developed in Scandinavia, infra red and radar, to prevent Moose strike at dawn and dusk.

Realistically, any of us over 40 will see very little of it. T'will be a long time before robots rule the road. I hope it happens quick enough that I can get a robot when my license is revoked due to bad eyesight. No bus service round here.

Bring it on I say.

[Akzle]

an xkcd for every occasion!

http://xkcd.com/1720/

[george formby]

an xkcd for every occasion!

http://xkcd.com/1720/

I doff my cap in your general direction.

[AllanB]

I welcome fully automated cars - if you take it to a logical conclusion the car will be design to avoid any chance of a collision.

So I'll be able to ride like a mad bastard on my motorcycle and cars will automatically get-the-fuck-out-of-my-way