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Concern Mounts Over Self-Driving Cars Taking Away Freedom

Posted by timothy on from the shattering-your-illusions-at-high-speed dept.

Lucas123 writes "Opinions in the blogosphere are building and run the gamut on self-driving automobile technology, but a survey supports the trend that most don't want their driving independence usurped by cameras, sensors and an onboard computer. The survey of British drivers last year commissioned by Bosch, a Germany-based supplier of automotive components, found that most would not buy a self-driving car. Only 29% of respondents said thay would consider buying a driverless car and only 21% said they would feel safe as a passenger in a self-driving car. David Alexander, an analyst at Navigant Research, pointed out that while driving yourself is often preferable, there's a lot of "grunt" driving that would be better handled by a computer. Navigant recently released a report stating that by 2035, 95 million autonomous cars will be sold every year."

3 of 662 comments (clear)

  1. Safety by KiloByte · · Score: 5, Informative

    Except that self-driving cars are already greatly safer than those driven by humans. If such a car doesn't cooperate with government surveillance, it doesn't degrade your freedom -- and as an useful tool, actually improves it. You can do whatever you want when travelling...

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
  2. Re:As soon as the smart car counts as the driver by CCarrot · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've never owned anything but 2x seat sports cars, I've never owned a manual transmission.

    I like to drive...I buy cars that are FUN to drive.

    But...but...manual transmissions ARE the fun ones to drive! Automatics are boring: press pedal 1 to go, press pedal 2 to stop, put the shift lever in the 'P' spot when you're stopped...yawn...

    That being said, automatics are easier for everyday running around in a city. Easier...but still not as fun. Driving a standard gives you a much more visceral connection to your wheels, and even in a little Corolla can make you feel like a race car driver on a straightaway. In a Shelby...mmmm... :)

    --
    "I love animals! Some are cute, others are tasty, what's not to like?" - Betsy Schroeder, Jeopardy contestant
  3. Re:As soon as the smart car counts as the driver by geekoid · · Score: 3, Informative

    Stop dictating what other people consider fun.
    Jeez, a Fun Nazi.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect