[somehnreader]

> I'll bet they even ban hobbyist driving - like those who 'still have old cars' and want to drive on those 'old car roads'.

Absolutely not. That will never ever happen. F1, DTM, MotoGP, MonsterTrucks, NASCAR , Rallye Dakar are all well too amazing to allow for that.

I agree, your commute form SF to Palo Alto and similar boring activities will be automated away, but there are way too many enthusiasts to allow hobbyist driving to ever disappear completely. Maybe, but only maybe, have them confined to racetracks or leisure roads, but I doubt it.

Source: I love cars and bikes and would go berserk if someone would tell me I am not allowed to drive anymore and I know hundreds of people that would feel the same.

[edblarney]

"Source: I love cars and bikes and would go berserk if someone would tell me I am not allowed to drive anymore"

I get it.

I know how you feel.

My grandparents grew up on farms - and there were always rifles around. My grandfather hunted.

They never, ever talked about 'guns' for self protection, I never saw a gun outside of it's locker (unless in the field).

My grandfather was an extremely normal and nice, down to earth person.

And yet often these people are treated as pariahs. 'City people' just think 'gun owners' are crazy red-neck killers. They would ban them in a hearbeat.

I feel you may be part of the 'NRA of the future' - ie a group that will be positioned by the press and pop-culture as 'angry old men out of touch' yada yada.

Everyone that dies in a car crash - it will make headlines like the random person who got shot in an accident or whatever - even though you car-enthusists are probably the safest and most responsible people imaginable.

Anyhow - I'm not saying I support the NRA or whatever - I'm just saying I think there will be a really weird social dynamic.

But you are right - drivers are pretty crazy and would fight pretty hard!

[croon]

I kind of like your analogy, but I'll argue the other side of it.

I understand hobbies and sometimes work (professional hunter, race car driver, whatever) and am all for people getting to do whatever they want to do (to themselves), but I think it gets interesting when put in a society, where not everyone can do whatever they want, and we need to come to a consensus (where consensus means the majority gets as close to what they want as possible, but a lot of people don't get what they want).

If human drivers in public means me and my family/people I care about/random people are at risk, and a safe option - driverless cars - exists and serves the same function, then I think human drivers should be banned (again, in public), and I'd vote that way. If there's a way for human drivers to keep off main roads and still get their jollies and whatever necessity they want out of it, then great.

Sometimes we trade things for safety. Often it's not worth it, but sometimes it is. In government surveillance I don't think it's worth it, even if the safety benefit would be measurable (which it's not). In both cases of gun regulation and future human driver regulation I think that trade is worth it, as long as the benefit is quantifiable (which may or may not be the case, I'm merely arguing on the premise that it is).

[jgust]

I feel like you could extend that argument (not that I agree with it, personally) to foods with HFCS or tobacco.

[summerdown2]

The difference I see is that I'm not personally at risk from someone chomping down on fast food. But I may well be at risk from someone driving unsafely.

[lawless123]

A lot of countries ban smoking inside non-residential buildings e.g pubs out of concern for non smokers.

[pj_mukh]

Remember though that in most states Driving is not a "right" (like free speech) and can be taken away by the government and they do so with legal standards much lower than other crimes (see: Traffic court)

[acedinlowball]

We can only hope that your way of thinking, and people who think like you, will eventually die out.

If you want to drive, you should be forced to do it on a closed course. Driving on public roads is NOT for your fun and enjoyment, it is for SAFE TRANSPORTATION. Your enjoyment of the activity comes second to everyone else's safety.

It WILL be illegal for you to drive on public roads some day.

[linksnapzz]

Perhaps in your country, it will be.

Fortunately, I won't have to live there :)

As for me, I have no illusions that those tyrannies exercised for the good of their victims will ever eventually die out; self-righteousness provides a powerful high, and to get their fix those addicts will need someone (or something) to scold.