Uber's Self-Driving Cars Are Now Picking Up Passengers in Arizona (theverge.com)

Almost two months to the day after Uber loaded its fleet of self-driving SUVs into the trailer of a self-driving truck and stormed off to Arizona in a self-driving huff, the company is preparing to launch its second experiment (if you don't count the aborted San Francisco pilot) in autonomous ride-hailing. From a report on The Verge: What's different is that this time, Uber has the blessing from Arizona's top politician, Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, who is expected to be "Rider Zero" on an autonomous trip along with Anthony Levandowski, VP of Uber's Advanced Technologies Group. [...] Starting today, residents of Tempe, Arizona, can hail a self-driving Volvo XC90 SUV on Uber's ride-sharing platform. All trips will include two Uber engineers in the front seats as safety drivers, in the event a human needs to take over control from the vehicle's software. Uber says it hopes to expand the coverage area to other cities in Arizona in the coming weeks.

Comments

So essentially test rides with passengers

[Kjella]

All trips will include two Uber engineers in the front seats as safety drivers

Google has also done this several times as a PR stunt without the taxi fare, they let a legally blind man ride with them back in 2012. I would imagine the fare is pretty irrelevant anyway when you have an expensive test vehicle and two engineers to pay. So what's really new here that hasn't already been done 5 years ago? Is there any reason to believe that in 5 years it'll be any different? I understand it's difficult, but I'm getting tired of the hype that self-driving cars are right around the corner. Two safety drivers on every ride isn't exactly self-driving. Any bets on when you can actually get into the back of a self-driving car with no helpers, no license and have the car drive? I'm starting to guess 2030+ while like totally being just "a few years out" all the way...

Re: So essentially test rides with passengers

[TheMeuge]

I happen to both like driving AND like the option of having the car take over if I'm tired etc.

Cars are a unique instrument because of the degree of freedom they provide. My big concern is that the advent of self-driving cars will be used by the state to heavily infringe on those freedoms.

My sense is that within months of approval of this technology for mass market use, it will become mandatory, and within a few years after that havens of the nanny state will prohibit humans from driving.

All in the name of public safety of course. The cars will be monitored, tracked, and subject to stop on order from advice at any time.

Tell me this isn't the future.

Re:the laws may take 3-5 years to get rid of drive

[b0bby]

I was just talking to an insurance agent the other day - State Farm at least has decided that they might as well make some money off this and are now offering a rideshare endorsement. Not sure how much extra it would be for your average Uber driver.

Will people like self driving cars?

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

Basically no one obeys speed limits. The posted speed limits are at best suggestions, and at worst revenue generators for the local governments. And many other traffic rules are casually disobeyed. Except for the stop sign, I don't see much voluntary compliance of traffic law. Stop after the white line at the signals, making a rolling right turn through the red light, 5 or 10 mph over speed limit within the city, 10 to 15 mph over the limit on highways are rampant.

Now throw into this mixture a fleet of cars, strictly obeying speed limits, preferring to slow down rather than speed up on yellow, refuse to use free right turns, coming to full stops on grade crossings... A few Access vans, school buses and trucks doing this itself annoys people stuck behind them in traffic. Now suddenly a large fleet of vehicles with a spinning dome on the head ....

Also, in the game of chicken, the winning strategy is to appear be irrational. Break your steering wheel and throw it away in full view of the competitor, "I can't swerve, even if I want to, your move buddy!". All these cars are known to rational decision makers. They will be gamed like nobody's business. People will dangerously cut infront of them, be very rude to them, after all they are machines, no hard feeling. And every time the self driving car will slow down, yield, and let the barbarians get away with it.

In isolated test cases, in small numbers they will work. But large number of them interacting with large number of normal people, they will be forever stuck on the highway ramp or left turn yield on green locations.