Self driving cars…a first experience

After a short initial exposure, I decided to give auto pilot on my Tesla a full test yesterday. After a nice convivial round of somewhat mediocre golf I instructed the Tesla helper by voice to take me home and turned on auto pilot, recently upgraded.

It’s a 15 mile drive or so with a testy exit from the club getting across two lanes going in the wrong direction. There were numerous circles, lights, lanes that disappeared , bikers, pedestrians as challenges.

The damn thing was perfect, changing lanes with confidence and interestingly maintaining speed where a human driver would hesitate because it could ‘see’ through the traffic ahead. It also made sense of the Tesla yoke steering wheel, if the car’s turning the wheel who needs an upper rim obscuring your entertainment center.

The whole thing was flawless. How long before you drive the car to a restaurant, tell it to find parking and call it as you are signing the bill. It was oddly inspiring seeing this bit of technology breaking another barrier in human affairs, the steering wheel spinning, the brakes and accelerator engaged and the indicators used when needed. The only thing it didn’t do was use the hooter.

Sounds fantastic...glad you enjoyed it!

My understanding is that the technology for driverless cars has been in place for about a decade now.

The only reason we don't use it is because we've yet to perfect the ethical aspect . . . by this I mean the ability to tell the car that if it comes to a decision point where it has to choose between running over and killing a dog or running over and killing a mother pushing a pram, choose the dog.

I've heard only good things about driverless tech and I know it's one of Elon Musk's visions to incentivise car owners to let their car act as a cash-making Uber service while they sit at their desks . . . but we're not there yet. Certainly not in South Africa . . . where I live.

Edit: Just want to add, I Iove motorsport. I was the world's biggest Michael Schumacher fan, the world's biggest Seb Vettel fan and now I'm the world's biggest Max Verstappen fan. I apex any corner I can when I drive and I don't welcome this new tech.

I love driving. I'm a very safe driver who keeps a good following distance and there's nothing I hate more than a taxi or a car overtaking me on the left to take up my following space. I only play a few console games but Gran Turismo 7 is my favourite and I race at least once a day. If anyone wants to take me on my nick on GT7 is Rooinek07. I love driving a car and I'm not a big fan of the whole driverless car thing but I'm an old toppie and it won't affect me . . . but it is coming. Maybe not in South Africa . . . . until they make the tech vandal-proof as well as ethical.

Can only be an improvement on minibus taxis and delivery bikes...for the dogs and the mothers with prams.

Don't start me on Jo'burg taxi drivers. If you think Baboon-ou is a right wing zealot, don't get me started on taxi drivers.

All I will say is I don't give an inch. Not a thousandth of an inch. Ever.

Delivery bikes are cool. I have zero problem with them.

All due respect to the tech, but that sounds boring to me. I enjoy being in control.

There is nothing better for me than riding my Yamaha or driving my bakkie, feeling the road, making my own decisions, especially in traffic or off-road. That is the whole point of driving.

Another thing people gloss over is failure. What happens if the system glitches, shorts out, or the software hangs while the car is doing 50 or 60 miles an hour? What if there is no time to override to manual control?

Then you are just a passenger with no control. We already have enough things in life run by machines and algorithms.

Driving is one place where I still trust my own judgement more than software. I know how to read traffic, anticipate idiots, and react instantly when something goes wrong.

So yes, impressive technology, but no thank you. Not for me.

The way it’s set up you go into auto pilot by simply pushing a button….the instant you touch the brakes, accelerator or steering wheel it defaults back to the driver. So in theory if you’re alert you have full control, but of course one’s mind will wonder.

I found yesterday I was looking at things I haven’t seen before, but only in non decision moments. The second there was an adjustment my instincts were to pay attention. Whether that remains the case is a question.

But it will get better yet. We had a Bentley SUV a few years back that almost put us through the windscreen because a car crossed our path. This was a passive system, I was driving and years on the road told me the other car would be gone by the time we reached intersection. The computer only saw an object moving into its way and put on full anchors.

Ultimately they will prove that on average the system is safer, but perhaps not for the best drivers.

There is a risk here that driving will be seen as a chore, in which case do the performance cars survive. For me this only applies to some functional driving. …I still want to enjoy the freedom of recreational driving

Pros and Cons... However, it will continue to become safer. Road rage will also become a thing of the past.

Some morons on the road would no longer be an irritation.

It will also reduce the cost of transportation, which is good for the economy.

It would be especially nice on holiday or when in a new place, without having to rely on the road markers or sat navs. Sat Navs are not that good. They sometimes provide the wrong option or limit the projected route options.

As a whole I think it can only make the roads safer for everyone....

Surely it would massively reduce incidents like druck driving accidents

Back in the day, not every car had a radio or air conditioner when it was bought new.... you had to install that seperately at an additional cost, in almost every car besides the most expensive ones where these options came as standard.

Now every new car bought these days has the radio and air-con as standard basic features...... and I believe driverless options will also become a basic features in the years to come, with all new model releases.

I reckon the day will come when all cars will talk to each other and tell the other cars what is happening live on the roads...... is there an upcoming obstruction, accident, incident, or breakdown .....are there police or ambulances up ahead ..... bad potholes, adverse road conditions, heavy traffic.. etc etc ....

I can also see it recommending additional live short cuts to take due to traffic congestion information from other vehicles up ahead on the same road / route as you....

The benefits are endless, but agreed, it would also be nice to be able to drive yourself at any given time