UK Will Take a Crack At Regulating Future Self-Driving Car Systems (cnet.com) 31
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNET: The UK's Department for Transportation said Tuesday it plans new regulations in preparation for "automated lane-keeping-assist systems." These kinds of systems could potentially let a car control all necessary functions at lower speeds, even in the city. It's probably a matter of when this kind of technology is available, and when it does hit the road, the UK hopes to have comprehensive regulations in place and seeks input from relevant industries. The current proposal would allow this kind of automated system to operate at speeds up to 70 mph on roads in the country. This follows regulations passed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe this past June, which allows this kind of technology to operate at speeds up to 37 mph.
Perhaps more crucially, the future legislation in the UK will look to either define cars featuring automated lane-keeping assist as autonomous or not. If the country does, automakers and technology companies would be legally responsible for the car's safety since under an "autonomous" definition, driver's wouldn't be the ones operating the vehicle when the system is engaged. This legal dance has led numerous automakers to skip Level 3 automated systems and focus on Level 4 and 5, which would give a car total autonomy and not require the vehicle to hand back controls to the driver in the event of an error. Essentially, UK drivers would be legally permitted to rely on future automated systems with no penalties, unlike today.
Perhaps more crucially, the future legislation in the UK will look to either define cars featuring automated lane-keeping assist as autonomous or not. If the country does, automakers and technology companies would be legally responsible for the car's safety since under an "autonomous" definition, driver's wouldn't be the ones operating the vehicle when the system is engaged. This legal dance has led numerous automakers to skip Level 3 automated systems and focus on Level 4 and 5, which would give a car total autonomy and not require the vehicle to hand back controls to the driver in the event of an error. Essentially, UK drivers would be legally permitted to rely on future automated systems with no penalties, unlike today.
Fight! (Score:3)
I drove a car with lane assist in Pittsburgh, downtown and around Oakland. I kept having to cross the middle line to get around trucks that were unloading, etc., and had to fight the lane assist (not much, but a bit) to avoid hitting stuff. Eventually I disabled it. I do think this is a good idea, but it needs a lot of experience in urban environments.
Re:Fight! (Score:4, Informative)
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Good point. There was traffic in both directions, and I was in a series of cars passing the obstacle by slightly crossing the center line. None of us were signaling; we were all just "getting along."
Apostrophes (Score:1)
Rules (Score:2)
B) Self-driving cars stay in the slow lanes and keep out of everybody's way (as they slowly try to figure out that they can run over the tumbleweed, but shouldn't drive over the downed power line).
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A) All of it can be turned off.
A total non-starter for Level 4 and 5 autonomy. I prefer that driver assistance systems can be turned off too, though.
B) Self-driving cars stay in the slow lanes and keep out of everybody's way (as they slowly try to figure out that they can run over the tumbleweed, but shouldn't drive over the downed power line).
If both you and they follow the rules then it's not dangerous for them to pass. Just don't get up their ass.
What the hell (Score:2)
We should get self driving cars on the road first before politician idiots squish it before it begins. Nobody has any non-speculative idea of what the problems are, how can it be regulated this early? What if the first airplane or automobile had to comply with todayâ(TM)s safety laws? Cars would never have gotten the resources or time to get off the ground.
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So-called 'self driving cars' could malfunction at any moment in time and cause deaths -- including the occupants.
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Oh really? Haha you want to compare deaths from early airplanes or automobiles to that of self driving cars? That's like bringing a flower to a gunfight. Literally the first ever gasoline powered automobile in the US murdered someone. If it had been up to you, we would have seen gasoline engines banned. Then how many deaths of people who needed emergency health care from slow-poke horse carriage ambulances (which by the way were just as dangerous as cars)?
Steam powered automobiles:
31 August 1869 Ireland
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Re:What the hell (Score:4, Interesting)
Today's automobile safety laws are a product of experience with automobiles.
Tomorrow's autonomous vehicle laws will be the same.
Today's autonomous vehicle laws are going to look quaintly inadequate in the future. Sure, some few of them may seem as ridiculous as having to have someone walk in front of a vehicle ringing a bell to prevent pedestrian collisions. But more of them will be seen as not nearly strict enough, as well as not regulating them in enough different ways. For example, they will probably eventually be required to drive with a given level of predictability so that all the other autonomous vehicles around them can optimize for efficiency, with exceptions for specific situations.
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Autonomous cars won't work in cities. (Score:3)
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up to the speed limit only? that will not work (Score:2)
up to the speed limit only? that will not work when others are going faster then the limit
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up to the speed limit only? that will not work when others are going faster then the limit
If the laws don't work, we should change the law rather than automating lawlessness.
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It works fine with human drivers anywhere you have adequate passing lanes and sections, laws requiring permitting passing, and observance of those laws. The AVs will follow the law. They won't play passhole games like speeding up when you try to pass them, or choking in a twisty section and then speeding outrageously to get ahead of you on a straight only to choke in front of you on another twisty section. They might well choke, but then they won't speed so you can easily get ahead of them and not have to b
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People tend to speed less as their cars get features like Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) and lane keeping. When they aren't constantly making small adjustments anyway they tend to just relax and cruise.
What about DUI laws? Will they also be updated (Score:2)
What about DUI laws? Will they also be updated to let people 100% off the hook even if only button is an E-stop button?
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"in a position to be in control" can = having euber app on your phone.
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That's why sleeping in the driver seat with the engine running for heat results in a DUI, and that is why Rayshard Brooks is dead and why we need an lesser DUI for stuff like that.
Maybe make that an Wisconsin DUI
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