THE CAR COACH REPORTS: WEEK IN REVIEW
DOMO CARIGATO EDITION
Remember that old “Mr. Roboto” song about the guy who was actually a robot? Well, we’re many years from that scenario thankfully, but our cars are becoming the robots it seems.
Take this video from Volvo for example: http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/24/watch-volvos-autonomous-car-system-in-action-before-it-shows-u/
It shows technology that will drive the car for you in traffic situations and it’s just over a year away. How does it work? It basically follows the car in front of you. While adaptive cruise control, which has been around for a few years, will do this in terms of acceleration and braking, it will not steer for you.
My questions are many: What happens if you engage this technology while driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the highway and fall asleep? How long will your car follow the one in front of you? Indefinitely? Will it follow the driver in front of you to his house?
Also, what happens if the car in front of you is also using the same technology? Will the two of you follow the third lead car? This could end up causing quite the freeway fracas if a number of cars are all following one driver. Imagine if the lead driver ends up driving off a bridge?
As preposterous as that may seem, stranger things have happened. For example, there are a number of well-documented cases where drivers blindly followed their GPS systems off a cliff or into a wall.
While I’m all for the reduction of traffic and having to sit in it, we would need to eliminate human error altogether to truly make it happen. That would mean cars that really drove themselves. Luckily, there’s no plan for this. Oh wait, Google! Alas, the future of driving may just be robotic car.
To this I say domo arigato (thanks) but no domo arigato (no thanks).
What do you think?
Post your comments at http://laurenfix.blogspot.com/
My Final Thought:
Looks like we could have one heck of a Nor’easter heading our way folks. In fact, much of the Eastern seaboard is bracing for some nasty weather with Hurricane Sandy on the way along with a cold front from the North. It’s a recipe for the perfect storm.
My advice to you: Stay home! If you have to go out, do NOT drive through flooded streets. Find a different route. This particular storm could bring some cold along with it and you do not want to be stuck in freezing water.
Love your car! See you next week!
--Lauren Fix
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