February 2: Self driving cars - a rant

Is this you? A picture of confidence and contentment behind the wheel of the ride of which you are so proud? Yes sir, it's shiny and well maintained, but nothing beats the feel of sitting in that driver's seat and taking control as you cruise the highways and byways of your world.

Or does this pic better describe how you would like to be in your vehicle of choice?

If you are a reader of car mags or even this blog, you are probably the cat in picture #1. You, like me, are seeing a future rapidly rushing towards us, where pic #2 is the upcoming new reality. Dreading the moment, where your machine drives you, not the other way around. Check out that Lexus ad showing a future where the driver is nostalgic for the recent past.

Engineers laud the self driving car as a great achievement and one that will save thousands of lives around the world, saved because there is not a nut behind the wheel. But folks, we are now travelling in a grey zone, between some cars that are almost to the self driving stage and almost all that still require a cool cat in the driver's seat. This is where it gets scary, since there is still, in some cases, a nut behind the wheel. A nut who feels that their Tesla (in most cases) can get them safely wherever without any driver input. Not the case. Definitely not the case.

Want proof? Look no further than this "driverless" Tesla, that just last week didn't notice a big red fire truck sitting on the left side of a California highway and promptly committed vehicular suicide by running into it.

Here's my question........where was the nut behind the wheel? Were they sleeping or texting or making a sandwich, thinking that their wonderful new car would avoid that immovable object before it demolished itself. Maybe the car knew what it was doing and was just pissed off? After all, aren't we almost to the point where machines can think for themselves?

Not the first time a self driving car mistook a huge object in its path for air. More proof.......

In this case, the driver didn't live to scold their new ride (another Tesla) for running into a tractor trailer that was crossing the road in front of this late driver and their late car.

Are these accidents the fault of the car? The driver? Or Tesla for telling everyone that their cars are (almost) self driving. Before you answer, please have a chat with one of the idiots in the accidents above (well, maybe only the first one). At least Mercedes and some others make the driver touch the wheel frequently to prove to the car, that the driver (or whatever you call the person sitting in the left front seat these days) is still alive and marginally in control

Want to save thousands of lives, at least in the US of A? Bring in gun control and forget about this self driving stuff. Get real, Barry, neither of these things are going to happen. So my friends, pay attention and don't assume that all the wonderful new technology on your fancy new ride is meant, at least for the time being, to replace you. Maybe in a couple of months the way technology moves these days, but we ain't there yet. Now we have driver assistance and that word "assistance" is the key.

As we speed towards the inevitable, this is what should be happening in your wonderful new ride.......

Otherwise, you too, maybe the lead story on the evening news.

Until next time.......