Self-driving bus gets into accident on its first day

[James48843]

Self-driving bus gets into accident on its first day in Las Vegas,

human driver blamed for collision



Las Vegas, NV-- A driverless shuttle bus was in an accident on the first day the electric vehicle was being tested in Las Vegas.
But police said another vehicle with a human driver was the one at fault.
The new shuttle bus was cruising down S. Sixth St. — one block east from the Vegas Strip — around noon local time Wednesday when it collided with a delivery truck, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.


The bus, which can carry up to 11 people and communicate with traffic signals, stopped itself when its sensor noticed the truck was backing up.
“The shuttle just stayed still and we were like, 'Oh my gosh, it’s going to hit us, it’s going to hit us,'” passenger Jenny Wong told local NBC affiliate KSNV. “And then it hit us.”

The massive tires on the truck left a noticeable dent in the small blue vehicle.


Wong said the truck driver didn’t even see the self-driving bus, which couldn't go in reverse.
“The shuttle didn’t have the ability to move back, either,” she said. “Like the shuttle just stayed still.”


More:
Self-driving bus gets into accident on its first day in Las Vegas - NY Daily News


( I guess "Smart cars" aren't so smart after all. THIS is why I won't ever be in a "driverless vehicle" of any type.)

 

[Valkyrie]

remember it is our tax dollars that are being given to these companies to develop electric cars and self driving cars. This was started with bill clinton. why is the govt pushing this? bush jr gave more billions of our tax dollars continuing what the clinton/gore team started, to companies to develop hydrogen fuel cell and electric cars. what is the final goal of all this?

 

[PessOptimist]

When I heard this on the news my first thought was that the autonomous vehicle lacks the “what if” skills we are taught in safety training. Situational awareness of the changing situation where you continually ask yourself “what if this vehicle waiting to make a left turns in front of me?” or “what if this car at a side street pulls out in front of me?”.

After reading the details of the accident I realize the truck driver wasn’t looking at all his mirrors (right front fender) and yeah if truck had been autonomous it would have had a sensor (maybe) to avert the collision.

The autonomous bus could have backed up to avoid the collision if the way behind was clear. Did it sound its horn?

I have been in similar situations a few times. Usually at a stop light with the truck driver trying to be a good guy and back up to let someone in line. Both times I was close to the rear of the truck and centered in the lane so the driver couldn’t see me in mirrors. Once I was able to back up out of the way, once the truck dented my hood. Lesson learned was ease to the left of the lane so truck driver can see you.

Situational awareness/what if? scenarios that seem to happen a lot around here:
You are in the left lane of a two+ lane roadway. You signal right to change lanes and a car waiting at an intersection on your right figures you must be turning right from the left lane and pulls out in front of you.
You are in the right lane of a 2+ lane roadway. You signal left to change lanes and a car waiting in an island pull through on your left figures you must be turning left from the right lane and crosses in front of you.
Defense is don’t change lanes near an intersection and if you must don’t signal?

Bottom line is that autonomous vehicles need some AI what if built in or all vehicles must become driverless.

I don’t want all vehicles to become autonomous in my life time as I have enjoyed driving some of the time over the years. When not stuck in commuter stop and go I even enjoy whipping my current compact econobox 4 banger (aka sh*tbox or penalty box) through intersections while downshifting and using no brakes. All for the sake of fuel economy of course. All at or near the posted 25/30 mph speed limit.

On Tuesday I heard on the news that driverless vans were now roaming the streets of Phoenix. On Wednesday I heard of the driverless bus accident. Reported on a local station as happening in Phoenix and later corrected.

Will my Grandchildren not need to be taught to drive? Will it be their children? Will transportation needs be entirely provided by a corporation or the government be the only alternative to walking?

PO

 

[burrocrat]

i have this friend...

who can open a beer can and cradle it between the legs, assemble a portable "honey bear" bong, smoke the lights out, squeeze a willing passenger's boobs, kiss romantically, with the kid asleep in the back seat, and put it away in case get pulled over, all while driving with his knee at 80 mph, smooth like butter.

look ma, no hands.

let's see a robot do that?

 

[PessOptimist]

i have this friend...

who can open a beer can and cradle it between the legs, assemble a portable "honey bear" bong, smoke the lights out, squeeze a willing passenger's boobs, kiss romantically, with the kid asleep in the back seat, and put it away in case get pulled over, all while driving with his knee at 80 mph, smooth like butter.

look ma, no hands.

let's see a robot do that?

Probably could be programmed to do all that. Probably would have to be self aware like Skynet. One glitch I see is the beer can being in the way of possible willing passengers actions.

PO