75% Of All Drivers Are Afraid Of Self Driving Cars - What About You?

It's too early for me to feel comfortable with them. Too many things can occur on the road that require human reflexive reaction.

So reflexes that are quite a bit slower than a computer.

I'm not afraid of others using it - Quite frankly a lot of people need one but I think I could get use to it especially if there is a steering wheel just in case.

Google doesn't want you to have that though. Because you can't be trusted.

The FUD campaign is working since none of these people have actually experienced in person an autonomous car.

I wouldn't say afraid. But I would say suspicious. Mind you, I'm suspicious of regular drivers on the road, so I try to anticipate how their actions might pose a risk for me.

A plastic garbage bag rolled in front of us yesterday at speed on the highway and simply blew over the top.

My 15 year old commented "If this was a Google car, we probably would be dead by now", I asked why, and he commented: "Google can't tell if that was a plastic bag, a boulder or an animal, so it would have slammed on the brakes and that 18 wheeler behind us probably would go right through our car since he was texting while driving when we passed him.

So I see the fear.

Actually to hear Google tell it the reverse is true...autonomously driven cars should be afraid of us. Google's self driver has had twelve accidents so far in testing and all were the result of human drivers in other cars. Well that's their story and they are sticking to it.

Almost everyone was a rear end accident. Which leads credence to your comment, but also draws attention to if Google is driving too cautious and causing an accident rate twice that of an average human driver.

We have all been there:

Speed limit is 45 MPH in heavy traffic
Traffic flow is 55 MPH
Google car is traveling at 45 MPH and is constantly being passed by faster traffic and needs to change lanes.

The Google car at some point will try to change lanes at a higher risk rate> However it will not consider speeding up to the flow of traffic and then make a safe lane change and then reduce speed back to a legal speed like a human would.

These issues make me worry.

In the case above it is easy to say it still isn't Google's fault. That is until a court claims contributory negligence on the part of Google for not paying attention to the situation and causing the wreck.

The situation is easily avoided by a human but not as easy for a computer

I think they should be outlawed.

I am not scared of self-driving cars - it is when they are on the public roads that I am concerned.

I agree with Agent 009 about his scenario in the 45mph zone - but I believe there is a bigger problem. Human drivers are not always predictable - and often do things that are not really safe. The idea that a computer can predict the responses of other cars well - is simply not possible. For instance - you are driving on a street with a self driving car behind you - and suddenly a car comes crossing in front of you from a side street that did not stop at the stop sign. Will you - Brake - swerve - which way will you swerve - or even speed up to avoid being hit? The self Driver only sees YOUR car - at first - due to parked cars.

Self driving cars may be an option on dedicated lanes on long trips - but in congested city driving - I believe they will last ONLY as long as they can avoid large insurance settlements for their makers.(I doubt the makers will be able to shift ALL blame to the purchasers legally)

@TomM - Insurance with self driving is "sold" as a factor to lower premiums.

Now remember that "risk" is a revenue stream. High risk drivers are very profitable. In 20 years after the self driving car becomes the norm, we have reduced the risk and the profits for the insurance industry. Now premiums have to go up to keep revenue up and satisfy share holders.

Think about it, all teen driver are no longer a statistical risk and high rates are not justified, but how do you make up for the lost profits? Raise everyone's rate.

I love all the opinions in this thread....no reference to facts. Typical. I'm going to state what I think because that has nothing to do with reality. The google cars have logged MILLIONS of miles without an accident. As long as they are better than the average driver there will be fewer accidents and fewer deaths.

Once the trucks are driven by computer they'll not rear end you 009.

I'm afraid of whatever the news tells me to be afraid of.