I don’t, how’s that for a short answer?
Mind you, this is coming from a huge science-fiction movie nerd and robot fan, so theoretically, I should love the whole car-drives-itself thing, an SF standard since forever. And I do love the way Will Smith’s Audi stows its wheel in I, Robot, which is where I grabbed the frames for the topshot GIF. (Notably, that GIF is reversed, because while the Fresh Prince does trust his Audi to self-drive while he naps, he does not trust it to do the right thing when he’s about to get piled on by a bunch of Fruitiger Aerobots.)
I’m also a big fan of GM’s 1956 vision for self-driving technology as seen below, wherein a family of four is seen cruising effortlessly beneath the bubble top of a wheeled Wally Wood spaceship (which you may recognise as GM’s Firebird II concept) in the wondrous future of 1976.
And of course, I love Johnny Cab, because who doesn’t. Jonathan Entertainment Cabriolet is an interesting example, because he kind of gets at why I don’t see myself ever wanting a “full self-driving” car. Adaptive cruise control? Automatic braking? Yes, I’ll have those, but door-to-door from city to highway and back under computer control is a pass for me – even in a world where the machine’s infallibility can be taken for granted in exactly the same way that none of us ever wonders if a calculator did the math right.
You see, I would just be too uncomfortable sitting right there behind the wheel (or the space where it used to be, if I’m in Will’s Audi) as the car drives itself. I may have total confidence in the car’s ability to get me from A to B safely, but I would certainly be judging it. “Why are you changing lanes?” “Why aren’t we in the left lane?” “I wouldn’t turn here.” Etc. My head would be pounding. Just let me drive. (Assuming I can drive – make no mistake, I would appreciate being able to tell the car “take me to the hospital, I’m having a heart attack,” or “take me home, I overdid it on the Mai Tais,” and the safety benefits of that capability cannot be overstated.)
Strangely, I would be unbothered if I were on a bus that was self-driving (again, assuming take-it-for-granted safety of the system). Because who pays attention to the driving of a bus? Just let me know when I’m at my stop. But I can’t tune out like that in a car, where I’m constantly confronted by the fact that no one is driving, like the recurring nightmare I frequently had as a kid (feel free to psychoanalyze me in the comments). Sitting in the passenger seat while the car self-drives would be even worse. Know what would help? Put Johnny Cab in the driver’s seat. Even though he’s hilariously fake and doesn’t even pretend to hold a steering wheel (or have arms), someone is driving. I need that.
You tell us: Do You Actually Want Your Car To Drive Itself?
Topshot GIF: I, Robot/20th Century Fox
Only if I can argue with it and it acknowledges that I’m always right.
It will have to be all or nothing. Either every car on the road drives itself (and thus can communicate intentions with each other) or none. I just don’t see some cars being robots and others human-driven going well
Generally, no. I like driving. The only exception would be commuting in traffic, which is something I thankfully no longer have to do, so I guess the overall answer for me is no.
Yes and no. I would LOVE a legit autopilot that can do ONE thing. Drive the long boring parts of interstate highway driving while I read a book or take a nap. I am perfectly happy to do all the rest of it. Wake me up when we get near the exit.
Radar cruise and lane keeping are not it. That is just good enough to lull you into not paying attention. I either want to DRIVE, or completely not have to pay any attention at all.
No, not really. I have adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping on my Subaru, and that’s plenty. It’s not that I’m a hardcore fan of driving, per se, it’s just that I don’t need a car that drives itself.
I’d rather change our cities so that driving is less essential for daily living and a greater percentage of my driving is fun, not drudgery. If I want to watch a movie or read a book while I travel, I’ll take the bus.
I’m 70 and I love driving, so not yet. If I’m lucky to be around another 15 years or more and unable to drive, yes.
No. I enjoy driving, even if it’s being stuck in traffic.
I’d drive myself most times, but there are certainly times it would be nice for the car to fully drive itself; especially if you don’t need to remain sober or awake.
Yes, I do as long as it’s optional, and it’s 100% capable of picking me up at a bar if I’m completely hammered and legally driving me home. Other than that particular use case I could care less. (or I could just use an uber and save a lot of money)
No, I’m not that fat, dumb, and lazy.
But hey, two out of three ain’t bad!
/jk.
I’m sure you’re actually athletic, smart, and hard working.
I’m fat and lazy. Dumb? Depends on who you ask. 🙂
… Yet
This is a no from me. I don’t mind Adaptive Cruise Control but anything more no thanks I already freak out and comment way to much when I am a passenger in a car and would much rather be driving and in control of my own destiny.
No. I like to drive.
No. I most certainly do not. I enjoy driving 99% of the time. Regardless of weather conditions. Driving in snow is actually fun. The only time I don’t like driving has been in Boston, NYC, and Washington DC. You know what I do when I go to those places? Public transportation. They got it figured out. But for the rest of the country, where PT doesn’t work as good or at all, i drive and I like it thank you very much.
My car? Hell No. When the insurance lists the CEO of the manufacturer as liable on some rental unit? Sure. Never gonna happen.
Drive itself?
I don’t want my car to shift its own gears.
I don’t want my car to open the throttle unless my foot tugs on the cable.
I don’t want my car to measure the cabin temperature and thermostatically adjust different parts of the interior.
I don’t want my car to filter the air in the cabin.
I don’t want my car to decide which wheels slip or grip.
I don’t want my car to unlock itself when I walk up to it.
I don’t want my car to start itself.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a technophobe. I have an electric choke on my carburetor.
How’s the electric choke working out for you? I’ve heard some good things about them but I’m not quite ready to try one yet.
I like good radar cruise control because managing speed is the bit most affected by other people and hell is other people. Other than that, driving isn’t aggravating or taxing enough to need more automation.
No. I still love driving. And get travel sick if I do anything other than look out the windscreen if I’m not, so the ‘free time’ argument is moot.
Only time any assisted driving appeals is in traffic jams when it’s move 3 metres, sit stationary for 5mins, move 3 metres….
Full automation would be good for two things:
#1: Roadtripping overnight. So I can sleep.
#2: Getting my ass home after a few too many.
That’s it. I can’t do anything in the car other than look out the windows otherwise I get motion sickness. Can’t read, play a game, watch a tv show. Nothing. So if I’m awake and sober, I might as well be driving.
Also I like to drive.
Wow, virtually identical posts 18 seconds apart. I share your motion sickness pain.
Haha yeah I see that.
As a kid I mostly just blasted away my eardrums with portable CD players cranked up to 11. My life was massively upgraded once they began designing them with skip protection. So it was music and staring out the window. Which is one of the reasons why I’ve always had a great sense of direction, I was keeping track of wherever we went at all times.
Ha, I was the same! And also have a very good sense of direction and mental mapping. Never considered that link before.
Yeah I am the same way nowadays. As a kid I used to be be able to play my Gameboy while in the back of the car nowadays if I am riding shotgun with my fiance driving I just get a really bad headache or motion sickness.
No.
I’m interested in Supercruise levels of self-driving. Just for sucking up long highway miles in very controlled environments. Otherwise, no thanks.
Computers and especially programmers in our lifetime will never be good enough to make it really work.
No, but also partially. I enjoy driving and want to continue to do so as much as possible. However after a week and roughly 1000 miles of driving a vehicle with Blue Cruise, I very much enjoy letting it do it’s thing on the boring highway slogs.
I think the ideal system would be like the IRobot example above or Minority Report, where the infrastructure is really guiding the system to get people where they want to go. You can take the reigns if you want, or you can let the car do it for you and remove your temptation to grab the wheel. We are still a long way away from this sort of reality though.
Cars cannot be self driving because a car does not have a self (yet).
This is the real sci-fi answer
Don’t speak like that around my Spitfire! He has feelings (his name is Freddie), and if you hurt them, he will take it out on ME!
Well, excepting Freddy, of course.
Nope. While I do think there’s something to it for long road trips, I bought a freaking Miata. I like driving thank you very much