03-07-2013, 02:44 PM
Puddlejumper Wrote:Rather than use technology to drive the car for you, I'd rather see technology to keep driver's informed, honest, and focused. In other words, perhaps governors on vehicles that limit speed to 69 MPH... or even better a "tattle tale" system whereas if you get above a certain speed, road side detectors read a wireless tag in your license plate and send your info to the MVA who issues you a Citation. Or in car technology that renders cell phones useless when in the vehicle is shifted into drive. Sensors that can tell how close you are to the car in front of you, and reduce your speed accordingly to prevent tailgating. Sensors that won't let you merge if there isn't space to do so. There are already sensors that will apply the brakes in your car if the car in front of you suddenly applies theirs. Roadside communicators that constantly monitor the conditions of the road surface (icy?), flow of traffic, interruptions ahead, and communicate such info to your car so you can make educated decisions on travel routes, etc.
It all sounds far fetched, in some cases it may seem invasive to your privacy, but in all cases it is better than relying on a computer to drive the vehicle for you.
That might be the ideal...IF human beings were actually that smart...but we are not and we constantly go to great lengths to prove it. The most advanced technology in the world is useless to us if we aren't smart enough to pay attention to it, and we continually prove that we are not smart enough. "Smarter" vehicles like you describe actually make people dumber than they already are. Less and less for them do do, and the since average human does not possess the reflexes of a fighter pilot, the HUD approach is even worse than useless because at critical times demanding the maximum attention and response from the driver it becomes a major distraction.
Either start teaching people to really drive intelligently, responsibly and defensively, lower the speed and create "bumper car" vehicles, or let an electronic brain far smarter and faster than we will ever be do the job for us so that we can resume vegetating in blissful ignorance while racing down the roads.