Interesting article. Outlines pros and cons.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/automobiles/wheels/self-driving-cars-elderly.html
KNS
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/23/automobiles/wheels/self-driving-cars-elderly.html
KNS
NY Times: Self-Driving Cars Could Be Boon for Aged, After Initial Hurdles
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I agree 100% because many older seniors (including myself) need to move around often, cannot use public transportation, and cannot afford paying for a Uber driver every time they need to move. Modern communications allows electronic paments and other transactions, so we seniors need not visit a bank or utility office. And most buy our items online. But we still have to buy certan items in person (such as shoes and clothing) because we need to fit them first (only a few have perfect bodies and can order these items unseen and online), and we still need to physical move ourselves for our medical appointments (how can we gat dental care online?).
So if we cannot pay for a chauffer (as the rich do), for taxi rides, or even for Uber rides, we will prefer to own our car that can help us drive safely. Modern safety features are a huge help, but an autonomous car is the last step before we become bedridden and cannot ride at all, until our last ride in the back of a "hearst".
One point of the article which I don't agree:
“One important group is senior drivers. Ultimately, the driver interface and interaction needs to be so intuitive that no training is needed.”
No, I know that all driver interfacing and interaction need training, just like we need training and a practical exam for hands-on driving. The manufacturers are forgetting that present driver controls vary between them, and even between models. My Chevy Equinox controls vary very much from my Buick Regal. So if any producer offers autonomous cars, they MUST train the new owner in how to operate and control that car, and not rely on the cheap thought that the owner will read the manuals and learn. I proposed a law that obligates the dealer to train the buyer in the autonomous car (a minimum of four hours) and certify the training, then review the owner some time later to confirm that the owner and the car are in "sync" and understand each other. Otherwise that dealer can be liable for lawsuits if the autonomous car causes an accident due to misinterpretation of a voice command.
So if each State have laws regulation driver training, they must have the same for driverless auonomous cars.
So if we cannot pay for a chauffer (as the rich do), for taxi rides, or even for Uber rides, we will prefer to own our car that can help us drive safely. Modern safety features are a huge help, but an autonomous car is the last step before we become bedridden and cannot ride at all, until our last ride in the back of a "hearst".
One point of the article which I don't agree:
“One important group is senior drivers. Ultimately, the driver interface and interaction needs to be so intuitive that no training is needed.”
No, I know that all driver interfacing and interaction need training, just like we need training and a practical exam for hands-on driving. The manufacturers are forgetting that present driver controls vary between them, and even between models. My Chevy Equinox controls vary very much from my Buick Regal. So if any producer offers autonomous cars, they MUST train the new owner in how to operate and control that car, and not rely on the cheap thought that the owner will read the manuals and learn. I proposed a law that obligates the dealer to train the buyer in the autonomous car (a minimum of four hours) and certify the training, then review the owner some time later to confirm that the owner and the car are in "sync" and understand each other. Otherwise that dealer can be liable for lawsuits if the autonomous car causes an accident due to misinterpretation of a voice command.
So if each State have laws regulation driver training, they must have the same for driverless auonomous cars.
Yes, it seems obvious that fully autonomous cars would be a great benefit to certain elderly or anyone else who has diminished driving ability, giving them mobility they have lost. It would also help parents who could put a kid in the car and let the car take them to school or sports, etc., saving the parent from having to go along. For this to be a real game-changer, it would have to be full autonomy, not partial. With anything less than fully autonomous driving, you still need a capable driver at the wheel. I hope this comes along, including the legal framework for it, and at an affordable price, by the time I am old enough to need it.
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