Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars

Re:Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars by paganel on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @07:43AM (#13470853)

> Why exactly do you think a self-driving car has to be globally deployable before launching in the US?

I think it can launch in the US all-right, but I don't think it will easily export to the other markets because of the above reasons. In iPhone's case that was easily fixable by people in said markets reaching middle-class status, but in case of self-driving vehicles I don't see that happening because one would have to change very ingrained cultural traits (basically you'd have to re-teach most than half to three-quarters of the world on how to drive sanely, good luck with that).

I'd say that for such a capital-intensive market like the car industry only relying on the US and some select Western European markets (+ Japan and South Korea) won't be profitable on the long term, hence my pessimism that self-driving cars will conquer the world.

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Re:Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars by yummyfajitas on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @09:50AM (#13471683)

you'd have to re-teach most than half to three-quarters of the world on how to drive sanely, good luck with that).

This is already happening in the wealthier parts of the world.

I don't think current self-driving cars will work very well in India. But I think they'd work just fine in the rich parts of Pune, to name one area I know well. That's because driving norms in this region are already becoming quite sane. From what I've seen the same is true in the wealthier parts of Mumbai. Lane discipline isn't quite as good as in the US, but I'm perfectly comfortable driving a two wheeler on these roads.

(I'd be a lot more scared driving in Delhi.)

I question whether "sane" driving is actually cultural. Is it possible that "sane driving" is actually just the natural human reaction to good roads and homogeneous vehicles capable of driving at similar speeds (as opposed to a mix of cars, auto rickshaws, pedal rickshaws, 3 wheeled mini trucks, etc)?

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Re:Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars by paganel on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @10:43AM (#13472212)

> I question whether "sane" driving is actually cultural. Is it possible that "sane driving" is actually just the natural human reaction to good roads and homogeneous vehicles capable of driving at similar speeds (as opposed to a mix of cars, auto rickshaws, pedal rickshaws, 3 wheeled mini trucks, etc)?

The difference in driving styles from Switzerland to its neighbor Italy is quite big, at least from my own experience as a tourist of both countries as a driver and as a pedestrian. The roads in Switzerland are a little better, I can agree with that, but the vehicles present on the roads of both countries are from the same class (no rickshaws and I don't think I've seen 3 wheeled mini trucks in Italy, though AFAIK they used to be quite popular in there not that long ago).

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