"Two deadly crashes involving Teslas occurred amid the car company issuing a massive recall of 363,000 vehicles. Tesla warned that the self-driving feature may allow vehicles to “travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner." In California, a Tesla driver was killed after plowing right into a fire truck on a California freeway. In China, an out-of-control Tesla killed the passenger and put the driver in a coma. Authorities have not determined whether the autopilot was in use in any of those crashes."

+ YouTube Video

That’s another subject for another time. Self driving cars in my view are still way off. AI is just not advanced enough to be trusted enough to be safe on our roads.

TT

Fortunately. People don’t crash in non-electric cars.

So, just like the numerous recalls issued by manufacturers over the years for potentially dangerous faults?

Doing a little digging on the web, from Reuters, the current Tesla 'recall' is for a software update that will be done remotely, and is because it has been found that Tesla cars do not always come to a complete stop at STOP signs in the US and their safety body with support from some senators have told Tesla to sort it. Comparing that to people controlled cars, how many of the august and responsible members of this forum can say they always come to a complete halt at a STOP sign? There's at least one of me that doesn't always. How many people want to volunteer for a recall to the driving school for a safety software update? Nah I don't need that I'll be alright.

I haven't checked the latest figures for Tesla self driving related deaths but last I looked mile for mile they were significantly statistically safer than people controlled cars.

Phew…. Lucky eh?? ;)

TT

Well, I once failed an Advanced Driving Test for stopping at a Give Way sign...

Back to Self Driving AI, my issue was always about roundabouts. It would take me an hour to get to work in Milton Keynes because everything would be trying to second guess everything everywhere, all at once (rubbish film by the way). Gridlock or cars slamming on brakes or being stuck in limbo during busy times.

Motorways maybe, traffic light controlled junctions maybe, roundabouts of AI and non AI driven vehicles together ? No chance.

Roundabouts in MK, now you're talking, your problem was 'second guessing', you have to use the force Luke :) But whilst I am joking there is some element of truth to that, if one approaches the roundabout, stops at the Give Way line, checks the other traffic, then tries to proceed, it probably is going to take ages, having lived here for 40+ years I've rather got into the habit of scanning the traffic from all directions before I get to the roundabout, adjusting my speed to get to the Give Way line when there's likely to be a gap in the traffic on the roundabout and driving straight through, probably something like Tesla cars are being accused of at a STOP sign.

A while ago there was much fanfare about Autonomous Vehicles being allowed in MK for testing and their being allowed to use the Redway (footpath/cyclepath) system, much excited anticipation of driverless taxis etc followed. What we got were these starship shopping delivery robots

https://www.starship.xyz/wp-content/...it-300x199.jpg

there are now loads of them trundling around interacting with pedestrians on the footpaths and crossing roads and driveways interacting with cars etc. When they started it was noticeable that they were often quite slow and deferred to other traffic excessively, after a few years of learning they are now more 'confident' and can go with the flow much better.


edit - Totally off topic, but does anyone else think those 'bots look like the taxis in the Judge Dredd film? The designer must have been a few years younger than me to remember that film from his youth :D

"Straight-lining" is what I used to aim for when stringing together a run of 3 or 4 roundabouts in a hurry around MK, by looking ahead and picking my line.

Not sure that Tesla will cope with those drivers going all the way around the roundabout twice in the outer lane when lost, or a foreign lorry driving the wrong way round one entirely. Ah, MK...

I don't visit MK very often, but that is my normal style when approaching roundabouts. It annoys me intensely when Doris approaches an empty roundabout, pulls up to a stop, looks in all directions and then after contemplating the scene hesitates to move off. Ten vehicles could have sensibly used the roundabout in that time.

We have Starship robots in Northampton. They are the cutest things out on the streets and have a much more intelligent persona than the general populace.