Why I’m Uncomfortable About Driverless Cars

The automotive news overseas is humming about how Ford  has just managed to put its driverless cars through its paces in a model city in snowy conditions. This is a big breakthrough for the world of driverless cars, because snowy conditions usually send the LIDAR (like radar but using lasers) sensors that make driverless cars “aware” of their situation berserk. To say nothing of what snowy conditions do to your traction when cornering or braking.

I’m not comfortable with the idea of driverless cars. This is not because I’m a technophobic Luddite (now there’s some big words for you to start the year off). It’s more because I spend a lot of time behind a computer and I know all too well that computers don’t always do what you want them to do. They stop working for mysterious reasons. They get too clever for their own good and try to do things that you don’t want them to (such as the time that my son borrowed my smartphone to check his Facebook feed, with the result that all his friends ended up on my contact list and I pocket-dialled them). Even those super-smart algorithms that customise the ads you get on social media make mistaken guesses about the sort of thing I am likely to buy (I’m already with that bank and I have bought my first home, thank you. And I am not interested in a university course. Or special offers on sunglasses. Or weird old tips.). So I can just imagine how things can go wrong with a driverless car.

This is especially the case if said driverless car is plugged into the sat-nav or GPS system. I’ve heard stories about navigations systems that have decided that the most efficient way to go is to take a 4×4 track that is marked as an official road but is only open for a handful of months a year, or decides to send you down a road that was permanently closed last year (and the system doesn’t know it). And what about all those stories from the UK about delivery trucks getting stuck in tiny old alleyways that barely fit a little wee Fiat 500?

So you can imagine what would happen with a driverless car. What if it decides that the best way to get to the shops is via the local golf course? What if it suddenly crashes like all computers do in the middle of a busy intersection?

The inventors, designers and legislators agree with me, too. Just last month in the US (in California, of course), the Department of Motor Vehicles decreed that all driverless cars must also have traditional controls, rather than the no-steering wheel, no-pedal Google prototype. In addition, the same governing body said that responsibility for crashes and traffic violations will still be squarely on the shoulders of the “driver” of the driverless car.

As for the inventors, one of Toyota’s inventors who just landed a nice big funding packet, Daniela Rus, points out that there are tons of things that robots and artificial intelligence can’t do for you, as they don’t have the sensitivity. Heavy weather like fog, snow and torrential rain is still an issue for driverless cars – which is why Ford was so thrilled about getting a driverless car to work in the snow – and so is heavy traffic.

The place where driverless cars are really likely to stuff up is in shared spaces. Shared spaces, as covered in one of my posts last year, are where pedestrians and cars aren’t in separated zones but share the same bit of “road”. This helps with road safety, as drivers (and pedestrians) have to stay fully alert to what and who’s around them, and use a bit of courtesy and common sense to avoid collisions. In situations like these, drivers and pedestrians communicate in subtle and very, very human ways: a quick cock of the head to one side, a raised eyebrow, a glare, a smile, a brief hand gesture…  Computers, even the most sophisticated, just can’t handle these things. They may be able to recognise your face in a crowd but they can’t recognise your emotions. These shared spaces are becoming more common in town plans, just to make things more interesting.

Driverless cars also have trouble with other places where humans or other sentient beings have overridden the norm. They won’t spot the line of ducks or the boneheaded spaniel on the road ahead. They don’t really know how to tackle the situation commonly encountered on a country road where a farmer is moving stock along the road. Around town, cops on point duty when the traffic lights have failed, a ball bouncing into the road closely followed by a crazy kid, a pedestrian suddenly stepping out, the road works crew’s hand signals and the local school crossing are all things that autonomous cars (to give them their official name) can’t really cope with.

Yes, I know jumbo jets fly on autopilot around the world all the time. However, I also know that jumbo jets with autopilot function (i.e. all of them) have a pilot-in-charge and two back up copilots on hand, all of whom have trained for much, much longer than the typical driver has, just in case things go wrong.

Anyway, where’s the fun in a driverless car?

Safe and happy driving (computers don’t get the “happy” bit),

Megan

More info is available at these links:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2015/12/27/aianxiety/

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35280632

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-33676388

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DIY or Garage?

Cars are a labour of love to the motoring enthusiast.  If you own a vehicle that has done a few kilometres and is also old enough to not be under a manufacture warranty/servicing regime, then you can save yourself some money by doing the car’s servicing basics yourself.  Things like an oil and filter change, air filter replacement, coolant fluid check and tyre pressure checks can be easily done by any half-useful person who knows which end of a spanner to hold; and these key maintenance factors do look after your vehicle.  You can quite easily purchase a maintenance manual for your car online, at a library or through your local bookshop.  Many ‘do-it-your-selfers’ can save a few dollars by doing these few important tasks themselves.  Just don’t forget to put the oil back in the vehicle – unlike my father-in-law who, after draining the oil out, didn’t get round to putting it back in.  Forgetting the life blood of an engine is a very spectacular way of ending its life.

If you just can’t face the job of changing the oil and other basic checks on the vehicle, do shop around for the best deals in car servicing.  It’s surprising how variable the cost of car servicing can be between garages.  There are even servicing outfits strictly geared up for doing the basics – like ‘Oil Changers’.  The convenience of just dropping your car in when you like, waiting for usually less than half an hour, and driving off again can’t be underestimated.  It beats being without a car for a day.

When it comes to getting your WOF done, this is the time when anything that needs fixing on your car to be roadworthy will be found out.  When it comes to repairs, this is an area that demands good automotive knowledge and will be the right time to employ an expert’s skills if the job is beyond your skill set.  Also, when your car comes to a halt because it breaks down, if you can’t fix it, then an expert will be needed for the diagnosis and repair.  It’s usually electronic components, air conditioning and the like which will be beyond the average ‘do-it-your-selfer’.

It’s actually quite fun doing maintenance on you own car, particularly if you have an interest in cars.  You do get quite a lot of satisfaction from doing so.

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Eight Christmas Wishes For Drivers Everywhere

I told you we had to follow the star – this camel might have great 4×4 ability but it hasn’t got GPS.

Well, this is the last post from me for 2015, as I’m going to be getting some well-earned R&R time with the family over the Christmas & New Year period.  I hope all Private Fleet’s readers will be doing the same.  It can be a bit hectic in the lead-up to the silly season, so here’s to beating stress on the road and off it, and to a great Christmas for all of us.

In this time, there are a few things that I hope, pray and wish that we all have as we drive from A to B, whether it’s doing the Christmas shopping, ferrying a bunch of kids dressed up in dressing gowns to the church for the Nativity play or heading off to the beach or for a holiday:

1. Patience in busy traffic. People are whizzing here, there and everywhere. It’s probably unrealistic to hope that we all have free-flowing traffic all of the time. Even if we live in rural areas and do a lot of shopping online, we’re still going to have to go out somewhere sometime, and we’re going to be crawling along behind a queue. Or caught in those last-minute road works as the crews try to get all those jobs wrapped up before they get time off over Christmas. It’s going to be inevitable, so this is where you need to know how to chill a bit and be patient. If we were all more patient in the car and realised that everyone else is in the same situation, there’s be less on-road rudeness.
2. Good parking spaces. By a “good” parking space, I don’t mean one that’s just outside where you want to go. I mean one that’s easy to get in and out of, and is within walking distance of where you need to be. I also mean one where the driver in the space next to you isn’t going to dent your door.
3. Sober drivers. In your car and in the cars around you. I certainly won’t be saying no to a nice cool cider on the rocks over these holidays but I know better than to hop in the car and drive afterwards. Have a plan for taking turns at being the sober driver and learn some good recipes for non-alcoholic cocktails. And no excuses for taking a risk, thinking you’re OK and hopping behind the wheel with a bit too much ink in you. None at all.
4. No speeding tickets. There’s something about this time of year that tends to bring the boys and girls in blue out in force. On the surface, they’re trying to make sure that we don’t have heaps of accidents and road fatalities during the holiday period. On the other hand, the difference between what happens in a crash at the speed limit of 100 km/h and 102 km/h is academic. But guess what you’re going to get double demerit points for over the holidays for (in NSW at least).  I’m all for traffic safety and common sense, but it’s starting to get a bit ridiculous and you can feel like a target for not having your eyes glued to the speedo the whole time. It gets particularly tricky if you’re in an unfamiliar town and miss a speed limit sign.  However, be vigilant, keep the right foot lightly on the pedal and remember that it’s better to be a bit late to your destination than to have a big bill over this period that’s a financial stress on everyone.
5. Keeping cool in the car on hot days. Air con is one of the world’s best inventions. So are chilled storage compartments, cotton clothing, automatic windows and refrigerators. If you can’t find shade to park in, buy or make one of those windscreen shade things to stop the inside of your car becoming an oven while parked. Alternatively, cut down on your power bill by using the hot interior of the car to soften the butter to go into the Christmas cake and melt the chocolate you’re going to get fancy with.
6. No breakdowns. It’s probably a smart idea to deal with those little problems before they become big problems in the middle of your holiday. I’ve had more than one holiday modified (I won’t say ruined) by something going wrong with the car. Like the time that our old Ford Fairmont  got a hole in some obscure pipe, forcing us into an unscheduled stay in one little country town. At least the camping ground had a swimming pool and a great trampoline to fill in the time while the nice mechanic got the pipe fixed the next morning.
7. Enough fuel. Fill up your tank on Christmas Eve if you know that you’re going to be driving to Grandma’s for Christmas dinner three hours away. The chances of finding a fuel outlet that’s open on Christmas day are slim, as petrol pump attendants probably want the day off, too.
8. A sense of humour. This will get you through a lot of sticky situations, in the car and out of it. Laugh at yourself and other drivers, and see the funny side of everything. It’s better than getting mad by a long chalk.

Safe and happy driving, as well as a great Christmas,

Megan http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/turbozaim-zaimy-online-bez-otkazov.html

Driving Home For Christmas (And Surviving)

Driving Home For Christmas (And Surviving)

“Driving in my car, driving home for Christmas…” Hands up if you’ve had this one piped at you recently on the radio or through the store sound system. At least it’s one of the least toe-curlingly cringe-worthy Christmas ditties that get hauled onto the playlist at this time of year (unlike “Let It Snow”, “It’s Lovely Weather For A Sleigh Ride Together With You” and other tracks that are singularly inappropriate when it’s sweltering and the streets are full of sweaty people in sunnies; just don’t get me started… rant over). At least this one raises a point and talks about a bit of what really goes on – long-haul driving to visit the rellies and crowded roads where you’re “top to toe in tailbacks” and get “red lights on the run”.

It can be a bit of a nightmare, trying to load the kids in the car and head off on a long drive interstate to the home of whoever is hosting the family Christmas this year. Haven’t we all been there and done that, either when we were kids or when we got kids of our own.

To make sure that you arrive in one peace and reasonably sane, it pays to plan ahead. To help you with this process, here’s a few handy hints that will get you through that 8+-hour haul.

1. Be prepared to take the trip in two bites. If the trip requires more than 12 hours of driving, it could be wisest for everybody’s safety and sanity to spread it over two days. This may mean a stopover at a camping ground or motor inn unit in some obscure little town so everybody can sleep. Attempting to have the entire family sleeping in the car is probably not going to work unless you have a small family and a large car. The only time that I’ve managed to get a decent sleep in the car when accompanied by the family was when (a) both the children were under 10, (b) we owned a van and (c) my husband slept underneath the van.  If your trip is going to take three or more days of travel, consider flying instead of driving unless you’re really keen on driving and have a very tolerant family.
2. Allow for breaks. And we don’t just mean a quick whip into the dunny when you’re stopping to refuel. It’s better for your back and for your alertness (and will tire the kids out more quickly) if you actually get out and move around a bit.
3. Share the driving. If you have more than one driver in the family, then make sure that everyone gets a turn. This includes the L-plater, who could probably do with the experience of driving at night. Don’t forget to pack the L plate and/or the P plate if applicable.
4. Audiobooks are a wonderful way of passing the time – possibly better than music in some circumstances (might not be the best in very busy traffic, as they may distract the driver, especially if you’ve got to the big showdown between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort  just as you negotiate that spaghetti junction). On the whole, children’s stories are a lot easier for adults to tolerate than cheesy children’s songs. If the worst comes to the worst and you really can’t agree on the book or the music, get separate devices and headphones for individuals – but not all the time. Learning to share and tolerate each other’s tastes is an important life lesson.  You may want a session where you pre-load your MP3 player, iPod or phone with a playlist for the journey where every family member makes a contribution.
5. Have some time when the music isn’t playing and use this for old-fashioned “quality time” conversation, telling Dad jokes and playing silly story-telling games. Or singing.
6. Choose food and drink wisely. It’s best to be flexible here and pick food that can be eaten in the car if needed or taken out as picnic food – it’s all very well to plan a nice picnic where you make your own filled rolls from the ingredients in the esky but this is horribly fiddly and messy if a heavy downpour coincides with your planned lunch break. Beware of too many drive-through takeaways, as all the additives, caffeine and sugar in the soft drinks and/or food, as these will make everyone more frazzled and energetic. They also get pretty pricey if you do it every time. Bring your own in lunchboxes or have a “supermarket special challenge” where you set a dollar limit and see what you can find in the nearest supermarket.  Stick to water for the kids (and possibly for the driver), as this doesn’t make your upholstery sticky when it gets spilled. Freezing a bottle of water the night before helps the water stay cold; adding a splash of herbal tea (e.g. peppermint or one of the fruity ones) makes it a bit “special” for the kids. Don’t overdo the water or you’ll have billions of toilet stops, but don’t underdo it either.
7. Swap positions around. This means the passengers as well as the drivers. This is more feasible if your children are in the booster seat stage or older but is a bit of a hassle in the case of a more substantial baby or toddler seat. Possibly have some sort of competition (which the parents rig to ensure that everyone gets a turn at winning) with the winner getting the most coveted seat.

Aagh, now I’ve got an ear worm and can’t get that Chris Rea song  out of my head.

Safe and happy driving,

Megan http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/zaymer-online-zaymi.html