Total madness!

[Workingman]

I know that we can do all of the things mentioned, or will be able to in the future, but as a human being I demand the right to be able to go 'off script' at any time of my choosing and without hindrance. The new world order does not allow that.

If you droids are happy to be told what to do or think, that's fine by me, but count me out. I will be one of those renegades, guerrillas, freedom fighters, call us what you will, demanding humanity back.

[Suff]

There is no suggestion that, in any near time, cars will only be available without controls and that we will be forced to use AI drivers.

There almost certainly will be a trend that if you want a non AI vehicle or you want to drive yourself, that your insurance will reflect that choice.

Here is the reality.

Tens of thousands of individuals are killed in auto accidents each year. In fact, the Washington Post reported in 2019 that since the year 2000, more Americans have died in car crashes than in both world wars put together. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers in the US, accounting for more than one third of all teen fatalities. And car accidents also result in hundreds of thousands of long-term disabilities every year.

One of the saddest facts about car accidents is that most of them are preventable. A 2016 study by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that human error accounts for anywhere between 94% to 96% of all auto accidents. Several other studies have produced similar results, and every study that we know of shows that the percentage of car accidents that are caused by human error is at least 90%.

Now certain countries are fighting this in other ways. For instance when you land in Limoges airport there is a plastic sign on the wall. It talks about the penalties for drink driving in France. Specifically about if you kill someone whilst driving over the limit.

The short version is that the highest penalties come in at 3x the legal limit for alcohol when you kill someone. The Mandatory Minimum is 10 years in jail and a €75,000 fine. It is clear that this is a minimum and both incarceration and fine can be raised by the judge.

The alcohol limit in France is the same as Scotland. In other words a LOT lower than England.

On the other hand if you were to fly into France and take a level 5 AI driven hire vehicle, you could go out and drink what you want, not worry about driving on the "funny side" of the road or any of those stupid road laws which so confuse British drivers.

Not worth having, clearly.

It is not here. May not be here for quite a while. But only one thing is certain, it will arrive. Because way too many people are dying on the roads and it is a quick win for the politicians.

[cromwell]

In other countries perhaps Suff.
But in the UK in the early 70's nearly 8,000 people were killed in one year. Last figures recently were less than 1,800 killed.

[Suff]

The AI driving suite would argue that 1 dead was too much.

Now we are arguing that because it is down from 8,000 to 1,800, that AI is bad?

Not a good argument.

Plenty of other arguments but the biggest one AI has is the reduction in deaths on the roads. This is a given as AI doesn't have attention span issues.

[Workingman]

Since the 70s road deaths have been reduced through better vehicle design, build quality the introduction of such things as ABS, disk brakes, power assisted steering, radial ply tyres, better tread patterns and compounds, seat belts and air bags.

We also have lower speed limits, better street lighting and signage and more visible reflective road markings. We might even be better drivers than mum and dad. If AI has played any part, and it is a big if, then it is minuscule at present.

[Suff]

The last thing left to fix, as you say with your maybe, is the driver.

No matter how we change the test, you cannot inject experience into a new driver. They have to learn and those that survive usually become better drivers. But not always.

Once AI driving becomes both trained and competent, Every other AI driver of the same breed is instantly as competent. More, every AI driver learns the lessons of every other AI driver and adds that level of competency.

One AI driver learns to drive in snow and ice, they all can. Just take a step back for a second. As soon as AI learns to drive in the Nordics, every AI in the UK is able to drive in snow and ice. And they never forget.

Just imagine a human who remains sharp for 100 years and driving for all that time. The human dies and 100 years of driving experience dies with that human. AI, that 100 years is accumulated to all other AI drivers.

Worse, if things continue as they are and I see no reason why they won't as we have reached close to the end of "safety" measures where drops in deaths are measured in tens, not hundreds, then in the 100 years 160,000 people would have died compared to AI at around 90% less accidents.

Defend your demand that you are free to run the risk of 160,000 dead, over the next century. Why? Because you don't want a computer driving your vehicle? You think there is a physical link between your accelerator and the fuel injection? In many cars today steering is significantly enhanced by computers, brakes, suspension.

We need to embrace these changes and at the same time make sure our government ensures they are under our control and not somebody else's.

Your position is similar to the person who insists on walking and carrying all burdens yourself because that damned new fangled horse can think for itself.

Never took you for a luddite WM. Although the luddite movement was more about politics and control than a wish to constrain technology.

[cromwell]

If we could move straight to fully autonomous vehicles immediately, yes we might be safer.
But it will invariably lead to a loss of freedom, an extension of the surveillance state, and maybe access to self driving vehicles will be seen as a right granted to those who toe the line which can be denied to those who don't.

[Workingman]

It is a vision of hell.

I am a human being. I have a brain, My senses of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling inform my brain of the world around me. I also have free will.

If I want to jump in a puddle I can. If I want to lay out on a cloudless night and ponder the heavens I can. If I want to stick my hand in a fire I can, but my brain says "NO!". It's called living.

Being a Borg, 11 of 17 or whatever, holds no appeal. I do not want to be assimilated into the collective. If people want to be controlled 24/7/365, because that is the way things are going, it is up to them, but I am not buying in. If that makes me a Luddite it is a badge I will proudly wear.

[Suff]

Actually, in this case, it is about shouting for the principle which allows 90% of all road deaths to be caused by that Free Will.

Hell of a price to pay.