[quahaug]

Yeah, ban cars because cars bad. No people drive cars. People no can think good. People not designed for fast car speed. The car think better for people. Then never bad things happen and all people will be controlled by good cars that think good.

[dm2]

The Google self-driving cars have been well over 500k without an accident in automatic mode (there was one accident with someone driving it in manual). Autonomous vehicles will result in a huge reduction of automotive fatalities and it's not inconceivable that they would eliminate automotive deaths all together.

Even though I thoroughly enjoy driving, as do many people, it's simply dangerous. Yes, car too big, going too fast, lots of energy stored up, and humans are not perfect, so horrible disasters such as this happen.

Would you rather airplanes be fully autonomous or have a human pilot in constant control 100% of the time?

[quahaug]

This isn't a matter of choice for me, from what I gather. It's already obvious to me that very powerful faceless people, somewhere out there, have decided that this WILL happen, one way or another, and the dismal tide will creep up around us all.

It doesn't matter much, whether my car or your car is autonomous, so long as the prevailing wind perpetuates a certain concentration of robotic vehicles on the road. Choice, freedom, privacy, become mere platitudes in such an environment. Meaningless words parroted in the same sentence as terrorism, patriotism, job creation and affordable healthcare.

[adamnemecek]

I really hope that you are trolling. Otherwise, I literally cannot fathom what went through your head as you were typing your comment.

[awjr]

Once the legal framework is in place and the technology finally sorts itself out, I can see a situation where the idea of private car ownership becomes a strange concept in cities. You just have a fleet of "chauffeur" driven cars available that you can call on as you need them.

Of course the fleet can be 'sent out to work' during periods of low demand.

[ericd]

Funnily enough, the Google self-driving car system is called Google Chauffeur.

[Blahah]

Cars are fine, but people can't be trusted with them. Just like with guns, and, apparently, keyboards.