A Driverless Future?

It has come to my attention through the British press that a new scheme is beginning to take shape within the UK. A pilot scheme in the planned city of Milton Keynes is seeing the development of driverless cars that will ferry people around the city on planned trackways. It has been predicted that more and more of these will be brought into use over the next decade. Driverless cars have already been introduced at Heathrow airport for passengers in the high flying (see what I did there?) business class. This whole concept of driverless cars is fascinating, and having read up on the topic I believe the time has come for me to set forth unto the world my views on this issue.

Are driverless cars the future of the motoring world? Or are they more trouble than they are worth?

Driverless cars have been the talk of science-fiction for years; we dream of hopping into our car and being driven to where we want to go. Sometimes this has involved talking cars, Knight Rider for example, or maybe even cars that ‘have a heart’ in the form of the loveable Beetle Herbie. However, I am just going to put it out there, speaking as a driver, I am not sure I really want that. Technology is moving at such a pace these days that before we know it, the human input will have been lost altogether.

I am fully aware that the margin for error when it comes to human control is giganto-normous (another new word courtesy of me). But then again, it is not like computer technology itself is perfect. I have seen too many times a computer crashing for no apparent reason, losing me many hours of work that is not always recovered… So do not go telling me that computers are perfect and do not go wrong. Let’s be honest here, if a driverless car shuts down mid-journey, there would be nothing to do but await your fate, whereas human error in many cases is instantly correctable.

This went so well last time…

I would like to draw your attention to the example of Jurassic Park. The cars used in the park were completely driverless and controlled by computers. As pointed out, the headlights stopped responding quite early on into the tour, which should have been warning sign number one. But then, as I just said, when the entire computer system crashes, the cars are stranded by the T-Rex paddock and are then totally ripped apart by the tiny armed beast that is the T-Rex. Maybe we should take this film as a warning for the future. Maybe it is a foretelling the future of humans and our machines.

As I have previously stated, in the UK these driverless machines are already in use at Heathrow airport, but only for the select special few with the economic means to afford them. I will be the first to admit that this is a neat little idea to have tiny pod cars taking you from one place to another within a defined territory. I would love a go in one of these pods, but I would see it as nothing more than a novelty as opposed to the next step forward in motoring.

In the case of Milton Keynes, the cars will run on defined track ways across the city. This comes as part of a proposed plan to ease traffic and congestion. Similarly, in the USA Google have been given a mountain of money to investigate the effectiveness of driverless technology to explode into the public sector. One of my main concerns is not with the pods themselves, in fact it is more of a conceptual thing. If the cars are taking people from one place to another on defined track ways, surely they have stopped becoming cars and have transformed into another version of public transport. Surely they are becoming a mixture of a bus and a train. Is that really a car?

The proposed designs for the new driverless cars in the UK

Furthermore, these pods appear to only hold one person at a time – will that not be of great cost to the taxpayer (I mean, who else is it going to be charged to if we are honest). Would it not make sense to have cars to fit multiple people? Or is my logic just too well thought out for the British government to think it is a good idea? My final issue with the concept of the driverless car is one of love. By this, I mean that I love driving and everything that it involves. I know humanity is on a quest for ultimate safety in all that we do, but that does take a lot of the fun out of it. I am not afraid to say that I like the fact that we are not perfect; I like the fact that we make mistakes every now and again, i like the fact we all have a chance to show our individuality. If we are all destined for a future of driverless cars, where will the imagination go? Where will the personality go? It is estimated by 2050 that all production cars will have ceased to be using the combustion engine. If we are going to lose the majesty of the V8 for example, let us at least keep the joy of driving for US not the computers.

I am all for the idea of incorporating driverless cars into society. But please, keep it in a contained context. The way it works at Heathrow is great. This proposed plan for city travel in Milton Keynes is forward thinking and quite brilliant. And I know that the motoring world is trying to keep up with the rate of change in technology but please, no more. For the future of motoring as we know it, do not be afraid to speak your mind! Let us preserve what we all love.

…after all, we do not want to be eaten by a T-Rex now do we?

Keep Driving People!

Follow me on Twitter: @lewisglynn69

Peace and Love! http://credit-n.ru/offers-credit-card/ren-drive-365-credit-card.html

Tyred Out Yet?

They’re the four pieces of rubber that are the most important part of your car as they are the only part of the vehicle that touches the road. Tyres, a criminally underrated part of your chosen chariot, are also responsible for confusion and angst. There’s numbers on the side and people hear about different…things about compounds. Here’s the skinny on what they’re all about.

The numbers: On the sidewall of a tyre will be information about the tyre, with the simplest being something looking like this: “225/60/17”. Tyres are, naturally, wrapped around wheels. The wheels will have a diameter and in a metric age are still listed by inches. Smaller cars will generally have wheel diameters of 14 to 16 inches, medium cars generally up to 17 whilst large cars can be up to 19 as standard and certain cars can be fitted with up to 22 inch diameter wheels. The tyres then will have that info and will be showing the diameter as the last number. The other two work hand in hand, with the biggest number being the width across the tread of the tyre in millimetres (225) and the sidewall height or profile, from the rim of the wheel to the tread, expressed as a percentage of the tread width. This means that our 225/60 tyres will have a sidewall being equalling 60 percent of the width of the tread.

Tossed into that set of numbers could be something like this: 225/60VR/17. For over 40 years, tyres have been constructed in a radial design (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radial_tire) and have speed rating applied to them for certain intended purposes. A V rating permits that tyre to be run up to 240km/h with the R denoting a Radial construction. Although Australia, for example has a maximum permitted road speed of 110 km/h, there are places where a car can be travelling above that limit, such as a race track plus, in a world market, other countries have higher permissable speeds.

Rolling diameter: this is nothing more complicated than how to mix and match tyre and wheel sizes to give, effectively, the same size circle. Let’s use 205/65/15 tyres for a mid 1990s Commodore. The OVERALL diameter is about 647mm. The driver decides to fit some 19 inch diameter wheels; if they were to fit the same PROFILE (65) tyres the overall diameter would be well over 700mm. This is both currently illegal and in real and serious danger of the rubber fouling the inside of the wheel arches plus can give a false reading to the speedometer. Therefore a LOWER profile tyre needs to be used. By using 35 profile tyres (height is 35% of the width of the tyre) the overall diameter is brought back to 647mm. Of note is how a profile can affect the perceived ride of a car; a higher profile tyre will have more sidewall “give” than a lower; think of a well padded cushion versus a slim one of the same material. The tyre and wheel increase can also be known as “plus one/two etc”.

Compounds: rubber can be soft, it can be hard and anywhere in between. Followers of motorsport will be aware of hard/soft/medium compounds being bandied around as easy as we talk about the weather and really, that’s pretty much all this means. Soft tyre compounds will give more grip overall however may wear quicker due to the extra grip, whereas hard compound may not grip quite so well, will last longer and may not give a softer ride. However, there’s a little bit more to it such as where the tyres will be used as weather conditions on a ongoing basis.

Tyre pressures: these can be read as PSI (pounds per square inch) or kilopascals. Most companies use PSI and it’s and indication of how much pressure is required to stop excessive wear of the tyre balanced against the expected load the tyres will carry (car, passengers and cargo). This information for each car can be found on a placard attached to the car and also on the tyre sidewall. It’s important to have correctly pressure tyres to stop wear either on the centre of the tyre (over inflated) or on the edges (underinflated) plus ride quality and handling can be severely affected

Run flat/spacesaver tyres: run flats are intended to give some measure of sidewall support should the tyre have deflated past its normal recommended pressure for any reason and will allow the vehicle to be driven, to a point, where the tyre can be replaced. Comfort levels are not included as part of the design. Space savers are becoming more and more common, partly to save weight but primarily to, as the name implies, save space, generally in the boot of the car. They are NOT intended to be used for anything other than to temporarily replace a normal tyre and are an emergency item.

Brands: there are heaps to choose from, such as Bridgestone, Dunlop, Kumho, Firestone, just to name a few; the actual construction quality will be of a higher standard in the better known brands and independent testing tends to show better overall grip and performance levels.

Tread patterns: there’s a couple of terms, such as asymmetric and directional, that catch people. Most “normal” tyres are symmetrical, in that the tread looks the same on the left and right of the tyre and are generally for everyday use. Asymmetrical tyres, generally for performance applications, will have an unbalanced look, for example with an unbroken groove or two one one side and a broken up tread pattern on the other. Directional tyres are akin to an arrowhead patter, with grooves leading from the outside to the centre at an angle and intended to give maximum water dispersion.

Any reputable tyre fitment centre such as Bob Jane’s or Jax can assist in explaining these in more detail. The humble tyre, more important than you think. http://credit-n.ru/zaymi-na-kartu-blog-single.html

The Global Superstar: The Taxi

The modern world is dominated by technology, corporation and progress; it is situated within the context of world superpowers secretly fighting it out for power and control. However, what overrides all of these thing is the vital need for communication and contact, without which this global society would not be possible. But do not worry, I am not going to launch into a political rant about the capitalist agenda and the weakness of democracy (I am not Russell Brand after all, much as that saddens me to say). Instead, I wish to talk about what began as a small local endeavour has evolved into a worldwide institution. They provide the communication and contact we so crave. Despite their importance, we often take them for granted. And yet, here they remain. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to take these few moments to examine the truth behind the majesty of the taxi.

Throughout my life, I have had the privilege of travelling to a wide range of countries, which has meant that I have had the pleasure of riding in a multitude of taxis. These rides have ranged from the normal to the downright ridiculous, but that is for another day. I cannot hide the fact that I am a London boy at heart, and so my life has been dominated by the London Black Cab. Therefore, I shall focus my attention on probably one of the most famous cars on the planet. The Black Cab has been so engrained into British culture that I am surprised it has not yet been adopted into the Royal Family.

At first glance, this post may appear to be a little random. However, this post was inspired by the results of a recent survey by Hotels.com that revealed a glimpse into how we rank the taxi-cabs of the world. Over 2,600 people responded to the survey from around 30 countries. The results showed that the top 4 taxis were:

1. London
2. Tokyo
3. New York
4. Berlin

Some of the other statistics to come from this survey include activities that we often find ourselves doing while in the back of a taxi:

• Texting/ Emailing (19%)
• Sleeping (15%)
• Eating (10%)
• Kissing (9%)

Interestingly enough, it turns out that the British people are the people least afraid of erm… showing affection while in the back of a taxi, with 14% admitting to amorous taxi activity, which says a lot considering the global average is only 4%. What are we like ey?

Seeing as the British taxi seemed to do so well in the survey, the least they deserve is a fellow Brit to further explain their greatness. I mean after all, living in London has meant that I have had the pleasure of getting meet and speak to people from all over the world. Tourists all seem to say the same things when in London:

Buckingham Palace, The Changing of the Guard, The Red Phonebox and of course, the Black Cab.

Even though I consider myself a local to these parts, there are even times even now where I find myself in awe of the Black Cab. It is physically, mentally and LITERALLY impossible to go out and about in London and not see a Black taxi. They dominate the cultural landscape of the city. You might even say that they define the very essence of London. London would not be London without them. The only thing that I hold in higher stead than the taxis themselves are their drivers. London cab drivers have attained an international status – they are genuinely some of the most intelligent and insighful people I have ever met. There is very little they do not know about. I mean seriously I have a undergraduate and masters degree in archaeology and I have had a sustained intellectual conversation with London taxi drivers about archaeology which has even tested my knowledge.

It is astounding to be able to get into a taxi in London, reel off a location and the driver will know exactly where you are talking about. Not only will he know where you are talking about, but he will have already mapped about 15 possible routes taking into account distance and traffic. One day I may perform an experiment to see whether a London Black Cab driver is actually better than a SatNav across the streets of the capital. I am willing to put money on the human winning this one. In fact, I have previously personally proven that the human brain can outsmart technology, but that is another story for another time.

Now obviously nothing is perfect, and the Black Cab is no exception. One of the largest complaints that comes with taking these taxis is the ridonculous (yes, that is a word now) cost along with the habit of many drivers to take the ‘scenic’ route so as to make a few extra quid. More worryingly, a few years back when a new model of Black Cab was introduced, they would often well, how can I put this… spontaneously combust. Now I do not know about you but this is not something I want happening to a car that is driving me somewhere. But hey, whatever floats your boat!

As buses, trains and underground trains have become ever more efficient and used over the years, you would think that there would be a worry that the taxi as we know it may begin to decline. But there is no stopping this beast. The taxi has planted itself in the pages of history and will remain long into the future. Even though in London especially, the Black Cab has come under pressure from the rise of newer taxi companies such as Addison Lee, it has fought them off galantly and will continue to fight on.

Long may they reign!

For more car chat and any questions you may have, follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69

Keep Driving People!

Peace and Love! http://credit-n.ru/kreditnye-karty-blog-single.html

What Distracts Drivers?

There are a number of arguments made in favour of raising the speed limit and not getting too picky about km/h.  My fellow bloggers have explored this topic considerably (here’s one example).  However, the fact still remains that if things turn pear-shaped, less speed means less momentum, which means less force that gets transferred to the occupants of the car.  If all goes well and everybody keeps their mind on their driving, speed doesn’t really matter. The trouble is, people don’t keep their mind on their driving, their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road ahead. They get distracted, and that’s where things start going pear-shaped.

According to one insurance expert in the USA, the top ten distractions that contributed to fatal crashes were the following:

• 1 Generally being away with the pixies, daydreaming or being more interested in your train of thought than the road in front of you (or beside you). This is particularly likely to crop up on long straight stretches of road with monotonous scenery in rural areas, although some people have minds elsewhere even in rural areas on familiar routes. This is something that they can’t legislate against (how on earth could they police it?) and car manufacturers can’t really do anything about either safety-wise.
• 2 Using cell phones for anything – talking, dialling, texting, listening, going online and checking Facebook…
• 3 Something interesting outside the window. This could range from stunningly beautiful scenery to the car you’ve always wanted up for sale (did I really read the price on that red Porsche Boxster correctly – I’ve just gotta have another look…).
• 4 Other people in the car talking to you or otherwise distracting you. It was not recorded how many of those “other people” were children whining, fighting or otherwise throwing a wobbly.
• 5 Using or reaching for some gadget that you’ve brought into the car – headphones, maps, iPod, etc.
• 6 Eating and drinking. Again, exactly what was being eaten or drunk wasn’t recorded, but a can of fizzy drink erupting all over you while you’re driving is certainly pretty distracting.  Ditto having a hot meat pie that oozes scalding mince all over your fingers and lap.
• 7 Adjusting the audio system and/or the climate control.  If you have a front seat passenger, get him or her to do it.
• 8 Adjusting or using other gadgets that are integral parts of the car (rear vision mirrors, seats, navigation systems, trip computers).
• 9 An animal moving around inside the car, be it a pet or an insect. Hopefully not a snake that’s decided that the inside of your car is a lovely place to have a quiet rest. It’s best to keep pets confined somehow or else ignore them. Cats should go in a carrier box even if they like riding in cars like one of mine does. Dogs can get harnesses that seat belts can slip through to keep them in place, but these tend to be for medium to dogs – bull terrier and upwards.  The carrying crate is probably best for little dogs as well, although if you have a small yappy dog that hates the crate, the resulting barking in protest is likely to be even more distracting.
• 10 Smoking – including lighting up and disposing of the butts.  This is the ideal cue for a lecture about the hazards of smoking in general, the specific hazards of smoking inside a car and all the reasons why you should not throw cigarette butts out of the window. However, if I did, this post would triple in length and get off topic.

A similar list comes from a bit closer to home than the USA.  On the other side of the Tasman, the top ten distractions are much the same:

• 1 Texting while driving (even though this is illegal in NZ)
• 2 Reading the newspaper or a magazine
• 3 Applying makeup, shaving or carrying out other personal grooming
• 4 Talking on a handheld mobile phone rather than a hands-free one
• 5 Changing or adjusting the sound system
• 6 Using the GPS system
• 7 Eating and drinking
• 8 Children in the car
• 9 Talking on the phone using a hands-free kit
• 10 Billboards, advertising, attractive people and other things outside the car.

But what about us?  I’ll admit to eating and drinking, kids in the back seat (although older ones in the front can be told to take care of the navigation, the sound system and the air-con system), getting away with the pixies and things outside the car.  What pulls your attention from driving?  Leave us a reply with your top distractors.

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