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[Dutchling]

Speaking of idiots and cars: how common are alcohol locks in [wherever you all live]?

[GlyphGryph]

Will insurance companies start charging more if you drive manually?

I can answer this one at least! If autonomous cars are safer, you'll definitely be paying more to drive it manually. No doubt. (And you should be, honestly)

Of course, it's most likely that the price of insurance for autonomous cars would plummet, which would be great. Everyone loves a safe bet! If they're actually reliable, there'd be a lot of competition over those customers, unlike normally.

[GiglameshDespair]

Insurance companies? Lowering prices?
What madness is this that you speak?

They never lower their prices, they just raise the other prices. So you'd pay the same for autonomous cars but just more for everything else.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

Insurance companies? Lowering prices?
What madness is this that you speak?

They never lower their prices, they just raise the other prices. So you'd pay the same for autonomous cars but just more for everything else.

I think this is probably closer to the truth. Although with some chicanery: they'd lower prices at first but begin raising them, or offer great intro deals that don't last, or whatever. You'd think the cost of insurance is based on what they think their risk of payout is, but it's also modified by the standard market dynamic of "charge whatever they're willing to pay". When you're legally required to buy the product or service in question, it only encourages the companies in that market to charge a little more because they have you over a barrel. You could argue that they would still compete like before but markets just seem to friendly these days.

[Sindain]

Another point very similar to everything that Leo was just mentioning, is that any crash that the AI gets into will be on the Auto Industry's head rather than that of the driver and insurance company. So mass production probably will have to wait until either large government subsidies or the driving AI gets REALLY good, because no auto company wants to drown under a tidal wave of lawsuits.

[Frumple]

Speaking of idiots and cars: how common are alcohol locks in [wherever you all live]?

... alcohol whats?

[Dutchling]

Speaking of idiots and cars: how common are alcohol locks in [wherever you all live]?

... alcohol whats?

Alcohol locks. Something people who get arrested for DUI get, so they (or a friend / stranger ) have to take an alcohol test before they can start the car.

[Putnam]

If they don't just outright ban/outlaw non-autonomous vehicles. 

Ha! The opposite is more likely to happen.

Another point very similar to everything that Leo was just mentioning, is that any crash that the AI gets into will be on the Auto Industry's head rather than that of the driver and insurance company. So mass production probably will have to wait until either large government subsidies or the driving AI gets REALLY good, because no auto company wants to drown under a tidal wave of lawsuits.

Google puts this issue as "people don't like being killed by robots". People would far prefer 30,000 dead a year to humans than 100 dead a year to not-humans due to ephemeral issues of liability.

[Bauglir]

They can install devices that require you to pass a breathalyzer test before allowing your car's ignition to work. They're not very common here. I think a judge can order them installed for people who are convicted of drunk driving, so that even when they get their licenses back, they have to pass this before driving for several months.

[Frumple]

I've never even heard of 'em, ha.

Sounds like a good idea, though. Sounds like a good thing to make standard, really.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

It could legally be considered similarly to cruise control: just because you set the car to drive at a certain speed doesn't mean you're absolved of responsibility for the car moving at that speed. It could become a recognized legal standard that autopilots that get into wrecks are the driver's fault for not jumping in and taking control.

You could make a comparison to airplane autopilot systems. Although in that case you have a strong legal force in the airline which doesn't want to accept responsibility vs. a strong legal force in the manufacturer which also doesn't want to be responsible. With cars we'd be talking about the weak everybody vs. the strong manufacturers. We'd need a new cadre of Nader-equivalents to fight for consumer rights in that new arena.

I like that Google quote. You could just as easily say "people would rather be spied on by humans than by computers" but Google sure does love them some data mining.

---

We have alcohol locks here for people who get DUIs, but not in general for all cars.

[Zangi]

Oh here's an interesting thought. I think people frequently drive badly because they selfishly want to get where they're going sooner at the expense of everyone else getting there a little later and/or less safely. You'll see some guy weaving through traffic on the freeway, not because he enjoys it, but because he foolishly didn't give himself enough time to get where he's going. Or perhaps encountered some petty "emergency" which he feels that he needs to attend to ASAP.

I will admit, in a fast car, the smooth progression from 'slow to fast' is really nice...  But then, I normally don't drive a fast car...
I am one of those more aggressive drivers at times.  I can and have weaved through traffic, like slipping into the fast lane where there is just enough room for me to fit in.  I have also drove close to people in order to intimidate them to move out of the fast lane/way.

From my experience, on highways.... Cops rarely ever bother to get anyone going +10-15.  +20 is where they WILL get you though.   ( I don't want my speed to be tracked by GPS or anything fancy either. >.> )

... Not been an accident that had to do with driver error yet.  (Crappy brakes in a borrowed car.  >.> )

[kaijyuu]

I've never even heard of 'em, ha.

Sounds like a good idea, though. Sounds like a good thing to make standard, really.

It's easily bypassed with a sober friend.

Yes the sober friend could also be the designated driver, but the people who get these things generally aren't smart enough to use those. And the sober friend is probably wanting to get smashed themself and not drive.

[Dutchling]

The Dutch one is also supposed to be used at random intervals while driving.

Unless you unplug it...

[Descan]

Doesn't Google already have automated cars?

Yes. Ones that only work on very specific tracks that some people are going 'nonononononono STAHP, you're GOING TOO FAST. We have statistics to prove it! (no, not stats about automated cars at this speed. Stats about human cars that are totally relevant and not just because we don't like the idea of robot cars') about last I'd heard, where 'too fast' was less than 20mph.

Weren't Google Cars basically test-driving all over the West Coast? o_o