Autonomous Cars Will Force Changes To Roads

[Driver Dave]

After using AP1 and AP2 for a while, one thing I've noticed is:

* Road standards are all over the place
* Frequently, towns/states will let lines on roads fade to nothing before painting
* Some line conventions - like lines disappearing at intersections, exits - will have to be re-thought
* Having more lines, and standardized, will make help make autonomous driving safer.
* Bikes on roads in lanes meant for 1 car, does not make sense, as the driver/AI will need to break law (drift across line) to drive around them.

Any other laws/conventions people see changing because of robot cars driving around?

 

[Algbc]

I would love to see a law passed for use of indicators (right and left signals). No one is using them These days, maybe it's an optional feature (Joke).

 

[DaveM410]

I think we are the WAY-early adopters. Our neighbor came over today & asked what the car was ---- He had no clue about any of it. He thought my home charger was filling the car with gas. I think he left thinking I bought a glorified golf cart. People are clueless to the advances that are happening.
99% of the population still doesn't even have a concept of the changes that will happen in the future in regards to driving (that we get to experience today!)
With that said, yes, I would see lane markings becoming an aspect of road maintance that jurisdictions will need to raise the priority level of keeping lines & marking bright and up to date as a critical public safety concern as self-driving progresses forward.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

No. Although standardization is a good thing for roads anyway.

There's a lot to figure out and a lot of data to gather, but it's a general problem that needs solving of where roads, what not to hit and where to stop or yield.

 

[Driver Dave]

There's a lot to figure out and a lot of data to gather, but it's a general problem that needs solving of where roads, what not to hit and where to stop or yield.

True, ideally, an autonomous car should just be able to handle anything.

But driving one, you can see how some things really could be better to insure that robots driving and humans, are safer. You just notice things more when autopilot is on. A lot of "hmm... that really shouldn't work like that"

With the biggest one being "hmm... why is there a bike taking up 1/4 of the car lane and what is the correct manner of dealing with it?"

Not sure humans even have the right answer, so definitely not clear how an AI should handle.

And yes, when I'm the one on the bike I'm thinking "why is there a car on my road!"

 

[kort677]

After using AP1 and AP2 for a while, one thing I've noticed is:

* Road standards are all over the place
* Frequently, towns/states will let lines on roads fade to nothing before painting
* Some line conventions - like lines disappearing at intersections, exits - will have to be re-thought
* Having more lines, and standardized, will make help make autonomous driving safer.
* Bikes on roads in lanes meant for 1 car, does not make sense, as the driver/AI will need to break law (drift across line) to drive around them.

Any other laws/conventions people see changing because of robot cars driving around?

this is just another example why autonomous driving will not be mainstream for a long time. there are so many variables that need to be overcome that it will be many years until full autonomy can take hold.

 

[McRat]

...
* Bikes on roads in lanes meant for 1 car, does not make sense, as the driver/AI will need to break law (drift across line) to drive around them.
...

There is no 'need'. There is no law that says you must pass slower vehicles. If they raise your blood pressure, pull off, take a break, do some yoga, etc.

 

[kort677]

With the biggest one being "hmm... why is there a bike taking up 1/4 of the car lane and what is the correct manner of dealing with it?"

a bicycle is a permitted use of all roads, excepting limited access highways, the proper way to deal with a slower vehicle on a roadway is to slow down, then pass when safe. crossing a double line would not be cause for a ticket if done in a safe manner.

 

[malcolm]

With that said, yes, I would see lane markings becoming an aspect of road maintance that jurisdictions will need to raise the priority level of keeping lines & marking bright and up to date as a critical public safety concern as self-driving progresses forward

Sounds like a job for an autonomous road line painter.

Can't wait to see the wiggles

 

[Sparky]

There is no 'need'. There is no law that says you must pass slower vehicles. If they raise your blood pressure, pull off, take a break, do some yoga, etc.

It could be an interesting change in road etiquette.
If I'm on a bike with little room on the right and an autonomous car (or semi!) comes up behind me and just silently trails me for awhile, I'm gonna pull over and let it pass. Cuz, I don't do yoga. Cyclists have come to expect the cars to behave in certain ways. Sharing the road with a mixture of autonomous, and non, vehicles will add to the cyclists' stress IMO.

 

[Driver Dave]

crossing a double line would not be cause for a ticket if done in a safe manner.

This feels like a hack to me.

You have to start with autonomous cars should never ever cross into the oncoming lane.

 

[kort677]

This feels like a hack to me.

You have to start with autonomous cars should never ever cross into the oncoming lane.

just another variable that the developers will need to overcome and why I feel this rush to autonomous driving is going to stall for many years

 

[Driver Dave]

There is no 'need'. There is no law that says you must pass slower vehicles. If they raise your blood pressure, pull off, take a break, do some yoga, etc.

I would say it actually causes an unsafe road to have a car suddenly slow down and then to have a line of traffic moving well below the speed limit, while they all follow a bike.

 

[kort677]

I would say it actually causes an unsafe road to have a car suddenly slow down and then to have a line of traffic moving well below the speed limit, while they all follow a bike.

as long as bicycles are permitted on highways this will be an issue.

 

[Driver Dave]

this is just another example why autonomous driving will not be mainstream for a long time. there are so many variables that need to be overcome that it will be many years until full autonomy can take hold.

I actually don't believe that to be the case, but autonomous driving will be able to handle many of the circumstances.

I'm just pointing out that once everyone starts driving with some level of autonomy, there will be a common perception of that many of the aspects of the roadways should be either changed, or maintained better, as people see that it would make driving safer through the eyes of the AI.

 

[kort677]

I actually don't believe that to be the case, but autonomous driving will be able to handle many of the circumstances.

many is not ALL, in order for fully autonomous driving to be accepted by both governmental agencies and the public the systems will need to be able to handle any situation it will encounter.

 

[Electroman]

i would add another one.. there should be mandatory dotted lines for the right most lane at the point of the exit.

It actually helps even normal human drivers, who tend to drift a bit towards the exit and then come back.

 

[Driver Dave]

i would add another one.. there should be mandatory dotted lines for the right most lane at the point of the exit.

Totally agree on this one.

Probably should be a rule that there should never be no lines where a lane still exist, but have dotted, or a new form of dotted that indicates exit ramp.

 

[Driver Dave]

many is not ALL, in order for fully autonomous driving to be accepted by both governmental agencies and the public the systems will need to be able to handle any situation it will encounter.

Yes, I guess it is many at say level 3, and all at level 5.

 

[Driver Dave]

as long as bicycles are permitted on highways this will be an issue.

Yes, agree.

I tend to think that if you were designing roads today, you may consider having bikes on the road as being crazy not safe.

And then design proper and separate bike paths everywhere a road goes.