Originally Posted by
mtb_addict
If autopilot becomes wide spread available, I foresee massive, massive decline in driving skill proficiency. Massive!
Drivers will lack the skillz to take over from the autopilot in case of emergency situation. Not to mention, they won't be paying attention in the first place. When a child runs out behind parked cars to get a ball on the street, a human needs to anticipate and take over immediately, there's no way a computer can do that. Only human intuition can.
Instead of massive, massive amount of money being spent to develop this technology; I rather society invest it in mass transit and bike lanes!!! Which are proven 100% to reduce deaths and accidents and carbon emission!!!
"Society" will never massively invest in mass transit and bike lanes... most of "society" (at least in the US) is too damn lazy and selfish to do anything but move about on 4 wheel couches.
If such improvements to mass transit and cycling are to happen, it will have to be directed top down (at the behest of "society") such as what happened in Copenhagen in the 70's and in Finland...
Americans view the use of the automobile as a birth right... even John Forester, the self proclaimed "cycling expert," declared the automobile as the "greatest invention of the last century."
Americans will continue to insist on the convenience of the automobile... so ultimately, "Autopilot" has to work, and work well (much better than it currently does) before Americans, en masse, will consider self driving cars to be a real thing to be adopted.
The current technology is not ready and this is widely known... even Tesla has warned users it is NOT a true "autopilot" but merely smart cruise control. (with a really bad name...)
Not a single company working on current self driving car technology has declared their version ready... most are looking for 2020 or later for a real product.
Any proclamations at this point are nothing more than goals to be reached.
On the other hand, certain aspects of the technology being developed and enabled toward self driving cars is saving lives... Collision avoidance, a key aspect of self driving technology is preventing collisions in cars so equipped, and insurance companies are recognizing this by offering discounts to owners of cars so equipped. But more time and development is needed before level 4, true self driving on roads, can be achieved.