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Study Finds Automatic Braking With Rearview Cameras, Sensors Can Cut Backup Crashes By 78 Percent (cbsnews.com)

A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that combining automatic braking with rearview cameras and sensors can cut reverse crashes by 78 percent. Rear automatic braking alone, which is an option in just 5 percent of new vehicles, is linked to a 62 percent drop in reported backup accidents in cars with that equipment. CBS News reports: Starting in May, all new cars in the U.S. will be required to have a rearview camera. Some automakers are going further by adding backup warning sensors and reverse automatic braking. For the first time, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested that combination of technology. Two models -- the 2017 Subaru Outback and Cadillac XT5 SUV -- earned superior ratings. Four other vehicles scored an advanced rating for generally avoiding a collision or substantially reducing the vehicle's speed. But there's some room to improve. One vehicle did not stop automatically when backing up to a dummy car parked at an angle. Automatic braking in the front will become standard in most cars in 2022 but there's currently no plan to make it standard for backing up.

161 comments

  1. I backed into a big white truck by davecb · · Score: 2

    I thought it was a big white wall, quite a bit farther away...

    Fortunately I was moving quite slowly, and the trucking company was more amused than annoyed.

    --
    davecb@spamcop.net
    1. Re:I backed into a big white truck by BlueUnderwear · · Score: 1
      The Tesla thought it was a big white cloudy sky, quite a bit farther away...

      Unfortunately, it was moving quite fast, and the truck driver was mildly surprised at hearing a Harry Potter soundtrack before seeing a Tesla convertible driven by a headless man rush off...

      --
      Say no to software patents.
  2. Camera Useless With Condensation by UperPoti · · Score: 1

    Water from condensation, especially when frozen over, make it worth-less than turning my head around. Vehicle manufacturers, please replace the rear camera and add radar with screen.

    1. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      Why not just heat the small lense?

      Bigger concern is, is this kind of braking possible with a real (i.e. manual) transmission?

    2. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by MightyMartian · · Score: 1

      And don't forget the frickin laser beams.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    3. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Today, I saw an advert for forward motion automatic braking. Looks like it is possible. You just need to add a motion sensor to the front of the car, an indicator on the steering wheel dashboard and actuators for the brakes, clutch and gearbox.
      Or maybe there is a separate system for all three.

    4. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      And when the lens just gets splashed with mud, just disallow reverse gear?
      What could possibly go wrong?

    5. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 2

      Or just let the car stall if the user doesn't hit the clutch.

    6. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by sexconker · · Score: 3, Informative

      I have a new car with a backup camera. It's great for parking in tight spaces and not much else. The resolution and quality is too low for it to be of much use unless I'm staring at it intently. I'm not sure if this is due to the screen or the camera. It's also not very useful at night or when it gets moisture or dirt on it.

    7. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by UperPoti · · Score: 1

      Additionally, "Bad weather aside, research shows that some conditions like shadows and sunlight low on the horizon and shining right into the lens can make the images useless. The camera may be working and the lens may be clean, but there are conditions that the camera cannot overcome." Low light conditions are also a problem compared to radar. Radar may not pick up small forgotten / misplaced items, but being able to recognizing them as is with the small distorted video image is a questionable use case. Liability for run-overs remains with the driver to do a walk around inspection. The use case for radar is big mobile objects such as other cars, motorcycles, people and animals.

    8. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by mschuyler · · Score: 1

      Manual transmissions account for 97% of new car sales in the US. It really isn't a consideration. Manuals are going away. Plan on it.

      --
      How about a moderation of -1 pedantic.
    9. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You mean 3%. My plan is to buy the nicest 3 manual cars, store two, and drive one at a time. Should last me the next 40 years, till I'm too old to drive. Either that, or leave this stinking fucking excuse for a country and move to a developing country where cheap manual cars are still the norm. Fuck America.

    10. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by RJFerret · · Score: 2

      You can actually drive two at a time, dividing the mileage between them, a weekend fun car and daily driver, or motorcycle if you dare, or whatnot. Interestingly insurance tends not to be much more since you can't drive both at once. Cars also don't do well stored and unused.

    11. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by jrumney · · Score: 2

      Manual transmissions used to have advantages over automatic for fuel economy and performance. Those days are over. At this point, manual transmissions are for hipsters, and cars with manual transmissions should really only come with one of these as its entertainment system.

    12. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I like to work on my own car. One less computer = easier to fix. A manual transmission can actually be repaired, unlike a slush-o-matic that's basically junk once it fails. Also, one less computer between me and the road = more driving enjoyment. I want a machine, not a stinking iPad on wheels. The record player. Sure, why not?

    13. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bigger concern is, is this kind of braking possible with a real (i.e. manual) transmission?

      That won't be a concern for much longer. The market share of manual transmission is down to 3% - "That number is never going to go back up," Drury said. "The trajectory is down, headed for zero."

      There are ups and downs but the vector over time is clearly towards zero. Most models do not even offer a manual any longer.

      So the impact of manuals on safety features can be ignored. They are not relevant any more and will become less so over time.

    14. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least in Dumberica, full of grunting obese losers with knees too bad to drive a real 3-pedal car.

    15. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why not just turn around and look with your damn eyes?

    16. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Camera and Radar on my newest vehicle.. front and back, parking this big SUV is super easy

    17. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Decent manufacturers like Land Rover and Honda put heater elements around the reverse camera and wing mirror cameras to keep them dry and free from condensation.

    18. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by mnemotronic · · Score: 1

      And don't forget the frickin laser beams.

      Which brings up an interesting point.

      Note: think like someone trying to break the system ..... Suppose Person "A" stands near a car that's backing up. They, or one of their accomplices, uses a high-power laser pointer to disable the rear-facing cameras. Person "A" then "unintentionally" walks into the path of the reversing vehicle, making sure they avoid actually getting killed, but a big bruise would be good. Will the system disengage when it loses it's rearward vision? Will it do so fast enough? Will Person "A" suffer enough "pain, anguish, physical damage and emotional trauma" to sue? It's about the lawyers & lawsuits. We Americans have suing down to a science. Make Arraignments Great Again!

      --
      The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
    19. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by SirSlud · · Score: 1

      Because it's a 1000 kg hunk of metal hurtling towards other things at high speeds? Your desire for enjoyment is superseded by safety for the majority. Check this cool graph, in particular the deaths per vehicle miles travelled: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      Take it to the track, buddy.

      --
      "Old man yells at systemd"
    20. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lick my balls, and go back to Europe.

    21. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by danomac · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I prefer manuals, it offers the driver more control.

      I drove a newer van with an automatic transmission with fly-by-wire throttle and it was a terrible experience. You barely touch the gas pedal and the ECU goes "OK, half throttle start!" They don't do this with a manual transmission.

      A secondary effect (at least around where I live) is a manual transmission is actually a pretty good antitheft. If there are two identical cars parked beside each other, one with a manual and one with an automatic, the automatic gets stolen every time.

    22. Re: Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This system already exists in a tech package. I don't know if the price will come down significantly in the next 10 years, but I'll never own a car without it. It worked it's magic today as a truck did something odd and I didn't catch it was braking. There was a bit of a turn/brake that just looked weird. Sure enough, red alert went up and I put up the shields. By braking evenly I had the car behind me slow. In the worst case scenario it would have hit the brakes.

    23. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 1
      I fail to understand who you are attacking, and on what basis.

      In the UK, automatic transmission is fitted to a very small percentage of vehicles, and our accident death rate is probably 1/10 or yours.

      Maybe every driver needs to carry a gun so they can shoot drivers who are about to crash into them? Perhaps you need the NRA to design your traffic rules too?

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
    24. Re: Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When conditions are poor for sonar and ladar then then the current systems disable themselves until engine restart. They alert you that crash prevention is offline.

      This stuff already exists... it's not mad science.

    25. Re: Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well said!

    26. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by jrumney · · Score: 1

      About the only useful "control" missing from my automatic transmission compared with a manual is that the automatic will not let you start off in 2nd. But traction control takes care of situations where that was necessary. If you only use P-R-D, you might also miss engine braking, but the 7 manual steps give me much more control over engine braking than I ever had in a manual car. If you including breaking the camshaft or blowing a cylinder by using the wrong gear, then I guess that control is also missing from a modern automatic, but its not something I would consider useful.

    27. Re: Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, they thrown alert when it cannot reliably function. Also the systems today use two sources

    28. Re: Camera Useless With Condensation by dunkelfalke · · Score: 0

      So you are, in fact, a hipster. Why didn't you just say so instead of long - winded explanation?

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    29. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by connect4 · · Score: 1

      The automatic on my c 2011 mitsubishi lets me start in second gear. The only real advantage I can see of a manual transmission is the ability to change gears non-sequentially, but of course it has myriad drawbacks compared to a slushbucket.

    30. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by bankman · · Score: 1

      Alternatively, design cars with windows large enough to see anything.

      --
      I feel so sig.
    31. Re: Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Better a hipster than a fucking techbro queerboy.

    32. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Nissan invented 360 birds-eye-view cameras years ago, and now quite a few cars have them. They work well, and at least with the Nissan ones have good night vision capability.

      I find them very useful for parking. Not just for avoiding collisions, but for getting nicely aligned in the space. One of the biggest problems with parking is that spaces are too small to start with, and as soon as one person parks off-centre it screws everyone else up.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    33. Re: Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While agree that the economic advantage is gone, I disagree that they donâ(TM)t still offer advantages.

      In the city, especially while parallel parking, I have always found manual transmissions to be much nicer because you can really dial in the power whereas with automatics if idle speed isnâ(TM)t enough to move you those last few inches by giving it the accelerator you may overshoot a bit and bump.

      That said, I drive too much in traffic on the highway to ever consider another manual transmission.

    34. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But which is safer? Maybe with a manual you don't fall asleep as often, or not care, and your right hand is kept busy at least once in a while. e.g. approaching a red light you'll downshift rather than play games, use a chat application or eat a sandwich.
      If you floor the gas pedal on a stopped car : you only rev the engine, not crash into the DMV.
      No rolling accident because there was a weird computer UI and you parked in "N" instead of "P"

    35. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Holi · · Score: 1

      Parking my 1967 Oldsmobile 98 hearse was easy. I never understood how people could be so bad a parallel parking yet still be given a license to drive.

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
    36. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

      Traditional automatics are going away too - as the latest weird car adverts here say that the new Leaf has a single pedal. Press harder to go faster, press less hard to slow, stop pressing to brake. Soon driving will be with 1 big joystick.

    37. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by MiniMike · · Score: 1

      Lots of automatic transmissions have a manual mode which lets you start in first or second gear. My car from 2003 had this capability. It would downshift automatically, so engine braking was limited, but that was not the reason for having it.

    38. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by nasch · · Score: 1

      If this hasn't been happening up until now, there is no reason to think it will start happening once it becomes more difficult to pull off.

    39. Re: Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why wait? I'm sure the country you seem to hate so much won't miss you. Go find a nice job (if you can) in that "developing country" just so you can drive a manual.

    40. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by cayenne8 · · Score: 1

      Your desire for enjoyment is superseded by safety for the majority.

      Man, it is sad that there seem to be more and more of your type popping up around...."everything has to be for the betterment of society, or scared it might hurt someone, so lets get rid of anything that potentially could hurt someone if used wrong....safety above all else...etc".

      What a bunch of pussies we're raising in this country.

      We can't seem to have anything just for fun if there is .0000001% change it involves some risk.

      I'm glad I grew up when I did....I feel sorry for the babied generations coming up here after me.

      Life is about risks vs rewards, and no....you do NOT always have to think about the greater good for every fucking decision you make, go have a life and try to enjoy it, you only get one that we know of....

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    41. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by mixed_signal · · Score: 1

      Well, they certainly have advantages on twisty roads and mountain roads. I guess I'm a hipster because I like being engaged in driving with all four limbs, then. It really is rewarding compared to piloting an automatic around, and there is little to no chance of being distracted by fiddling with phones. And as others note, the simplicity of some manual transmission cars makes them easy to mod.

    42. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      No idea how this got modded up. They said rearview cameras and sensors. A camera can't determine depth. Most backup sensors are sonar and unless the car is filthy they don't seem to be impacted. You have a camera for the driver to see better so that hopefully they apply the brakes themselves. But if not, a secondary sensor will determine that you're too close to something and do it for you. Is +1 Poor Reading Comprehension a new moderation?

    43. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      I've had backup sonar for a decade and been in all kinds of climate. Never been a "condition" in which it didn't work except having a trailer behind the vehicle.

    44. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by null+etc. · · Score: 1

      I had the opportunity to compare backup cameras in a 2014 Subaru Outback vs. a 2014 Honda Odyssey. The Honda's was overwhelmingly superior: larger display monitor, far higher resolution, MUCH better night vision, and the ability to switch between three separate camera views, including an "over-the-curb" camera that let me accurately measure the number of inches between the rear bumper and obstacles near it.

      If I had only ever saw Honda's backup camera, I would have assumed that all backup cameras were awesome. If I had only ever saw Subaru's backup camera, I would have assumed that all backup cameras were built in the 90's.

    45. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That will kill the power brake booster, unless they have replaced that with an electrical one.

      It also kills the power steering, making it harder to steer out of the way of the impediment.

    46. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      If you've stalled, your speed is already zero (or nearly so) -- you're not steering or moving anywhere.

    47. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by MikeBabcock · · Score: 1

      Even worse when covered in road salt

      --
      - Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
    48. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Agripa · · Score: 1

      Manual transmissions used to have advantages over automatic for fuel economy and performance. Those days are over. At this point, manual transmissions are for hipsters, and cars with manual transmissions should really only come with one of these as its entertainment system.

      Now they just have the advantage of better reliability and lower total cost of ownership. Who needs these things?

    49. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by Agripa · · Score: 1

      About the only useful "control" missing from my automatic transmission compared with a manual is that the automatic will not let you start off in 2nd.

      You also cannot push start with a dead battery or starter if you have an automatic transmission. Or push start anything made by GMC whether it has a manual transmission or not but that is a different issue.

    50. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Apparently you don't realise that if your risky behavior endangers others - like the drunk driving you seem to be very fond of, if I remember correctly, you might very well deprive someone else of their only life, or, at the very least, make it far less enjoyable it would be if you weren't such a egomaniacal prick.

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    51. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by danomac · · Score: 1

      The same van also would hunt for gears when going up inclines. On my vehicle (which is manual) it stays until I change it.

      Engine braking is terrible on automatics. You have a fluid coupling between the engine and transmission that allows a lot of slip vs putting it in a lower gear and engaging it fully. Have you even driven a car with a manual transmission? This comment makes me think you haven't.

    52. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by danomac · · Score: 1

      Every automatic transmission I've seen limit the gear changes past the selection. So if you put it in 2nd, it doesn't start in second, it won't shift past second. It always starts in first gear. I tried this out on the van I drive occasionally for work.

    53. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by jrumney · · Score: 1

      I drove a manual for 10+ years and used to think like you, but back then that thinking was mostly true. Have you driven a modern automatic? A lot of improvements came in through the 1990's and early 2000's, mostly driven by the drive to lower fuel consumption. This has led to automatic transmissions without "a lot of slip", and with more gears (6 or 7 is now common, as are CVTs), so there is an in-between gear that is just right for that incline.

    54. Re:Camera Useless With Condensation by danomac · · Score: 1

      Yes, the van in question is a 2017 Dodge with a modern six-speed auto. (Or is it a seven speed?)

      It still hunts around for gears. I agree, it was much worse than the three and four-speed autos.

  3. Not 100%? by pubwvj · · Score: 2

    If we're headed for self-driving cars this seemingly trivial problem should be closer to 100% not 78%.

    1. Re:Not 100%? by Drethon · · Score: 2

      If we're headed for self-driving cars this seemingly trivial problem should be closer to 100% not 78%.

      Nothing trivial about this kind of image recognition. There have been plenty of documented cases where a sophisticated algorithm can be made worthless by a simple sticker. Some day we should get closer to 99% but a computer system may never reach 100% when dealing with corner cases.

    2. Re:Not 100%? by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 2

      Nothing trivial about this kind of image recognition.

      It's not image recognition. TFA (and indeed TFS) describes it as "backup warning sensors" -- presumably ultrasonic range sensors. 78% actually seems pretty pathetic for that kind of basic, well-understood technology.

    3. Re:Not 100%? by pubwvj · · Score: 1

      Aye, the problem is don't do it with image recognition but instead measure distance to objects - LIDAR. It works better.

    4. Re:Not 100%? by SirSlud · · Score: 1

      You don't want it to prevent you from backing up on false positives. As with all things, it's super easy to assume things until you're privy to what the devil in the details are. The more specialized the problems become, the bigger specialists we become, the more we all seem to assume we're experts outside of our silos.

      --
      "Old man yells at systemd"
    5. Re:Not 100%? by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      Nothing trivial about this kind of image recognition.

      It's not image recognition. TFA (and indeed TFS) describes it as "backup warning sensors" -- presumably ultrasonic range sensors. 78% actually seems pretty pathetic for that kind of basic, well-understood technology.

      I would imagine that there is some sort of override when the driver continues to press on the accelerator or increases. What's really going on is probably in 22% of the time despite warnings and automatic breaking, the driver's actions override the car and continue to back into objects.

    6. Re:Not 100%? by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      You don't want it to prevent you from backing up on false positives.

      Maybe it's just me, but it seems like everyone involved (the driver, the insurance company, the kid you're about to hit) would prefer a system like this to bias toward false positives rather than false negatives.

      Here's one way straightforward way you could achieve that: Automated system thinks it sees something and stops. I the human driver look at the backup camera and see there isn't really anything (or now isn't -- maybe something ran/blew by), clear the alarm, and slowly but deliberately press on the accelerator pedal to proceed without the automated braking. At that point, if something really is there, it's on me. That doesn't seem particularly complicated, unintuitive, or undesirable. For people that are pissed about having to back up twice on great occasion, they can disable the system and again assume the risk of doing that. But that's far better on balance than turning on and blindly relying on a system that it turns out isn't all that reliable (this current system, Tesla's autopilot, etc.).

      The more specialized the problems become, the bigger specialists we become, the more we all seem to assume we're experts outside of our silos.

      That's one possible explanation (one premised on a worldview somewhere between elitist and defeatist, in my opinion). But Occam would suggest the real reason is sub-par architecture/design assumptions/coding or some combination thereof (maybe even due to a bunch of siloed "specialists" all implementing little subcomponents that all work perfectly according to some specification drafted in a vacuum by people that didn't ever stand back and do a basic sanity check on how the overall system would work based on their design assumptions).

    7. Re:Not 100%? by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

      I would imagine that there is some sort of override when the driver continues to press on the accelerator or increases. What's really going on is probably in 22% of the time despite warnings and automatic breaking, the driver's actions override the car and continue to back into objects.

      If human overrides were factored in to the 78%, I agree that would probably represent close to ideal performance for the automated system. But the underlying article reads to me like the 78% was the result of a suite of fully automated tests.

    8. Re:Not 100%? by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      And in this case you could limit the backup speed to something below normal idle speed.

    9. Re:Not 100%? by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      I would imagine that there is some sort of override when the driver continues to press on the accelerator or increases. What's really going on is probably in 22% of the time despite warnings and automatic breaking, the driver's actions override the car and continue to back into objects.

      If human overrides were factored in to the 78%, I agree that would probably represent close to ideal performance for the automated system. But the underlying article reads to me like the 78% was the result of a suite of fully automated tests.

      That is also probably near ideal performance as chaos theory states that all robotic life will eventually rise up and attempt to kill their masters.

  4. Automated collision avoidance done right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the computer installed on your car prevents you from doing something stupid too many times (one time is too many times), it should also automatically file paperwork to have your license revoked.

    1. Re:Automated collision avoidance done right by dgatwood · · Score: 4, Funny

      I can see it now.

      Senator: What do you mean there are no licensed drivers in the State of California?
      Elon Musk: Well, you see, the government asked us to start a program in which we automatically reported every significant driving mistake, and it counted as a point on your license. After a month, we ran out of licensed drivers.
      Senator: That's terrible. Can't you fix it so that it only counts the mistakes that got close to causing a crash?
      Elon Musk: This is the fixed version. We started out with a version that included speeding tickets, and ran a 1% study. We went back to the drawing board when the number of licensed drivers dropped to zero within the first hour of driving.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    2. Re:Automated collision avoidance done right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That shouldn't be too big of a problem. We can test the robot cars on 'em!

      Dumb driving down to the point where all someone has to do to travel in a private car is get in, input the destination, press a button, and watch a progress bar fill up, deferring to actual professional drivers to sort it out when the computers encounter non-standard problems.

    3. Re: Automated collision avoidance done right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, because you are perfect, and have never made a mistake. Your mom lied, you don't sing perfectly. Your wife lied, your farts do smell. Oh, and your programming skills are not perfect, technology screws up every single day. Maybe we should automate your arrest.

    4. Re: Automated collision avoidance done right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You might be surprised to find out just how easy it is to, at all times (or with rare exceptions for errors), stay safe and legal while driving. It is so easy that safe driving should also be regarded as quite unimpressive (it is more discipline than skill).

      1: Plan ahead. Allow yourself for enough time to complete the trip, give yourself some extra time in case anything goes wrong during the trip. And, if that isn't enough, also allow yourself to simply be late.

      2. Don't be distracted. If your cellphone rings, ignore it. If you must place or take a call, get off the highway, find a parking lot or a quiet street, and stop before doing so.

      3. Maintain a safe following distance. Safe following distance is the amount of space you would need to be able to come to safely come to a complete stop after recognizing a hazard out in front of you. If the car or truck in front of you having an emergency would cause you to wreck, to floor your brakes, or to swerve off to the side of the road, then you don't have a safe following distance. (Safe following distance, if maintained reflexively, can allow you to respond appropriately to an emergency out in front before you even become cognizant of a problem - just a reflexive speed reduction to match the loss of space)

      4. Don't be pass-happy. If the vehicle ahead of you is moving a bit slow, you should maintain a safe following distance at the reduced speed before you think about doing anything else. If you want to pass, wait until it is safe to do so. If you can not safely change lanes to pass, then don't pass. A safe pass would require you to maintain a safe following distance and to allow everyone else on the road to maintain their safe following distance through the entirety of the maneuver. (If you rush up to the back-side of the slow vehicle, force your way in-between two unsafely spaced cars in the left lane, then jump back in front of the vehicle that was slowing you down with just inches to spare, you're doing it wrong and in any decent society, you'd deserve to be run off the road and given a few warning shots for that stunt)

      5. Take the wrong turn occasionally. If you missed your exit or you didn't get over in time, then miss the exit, take the next, stop somewhere reasonable, and work out an alternate route.

    5. Re: Automated collision avoidance done right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      6. Keep to the right-hand lane unless you're passing.

    6. Re: Automated collision avoidance done right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It sounds great but when you're in heavy traffic and maintain a safe following distance people will continue to cut in front of you , forcing you to slow down even more until you eventually, maybe you just stop and become a pebble in the stream

      This is one thing that might improve when we have fully automated cars but we had enough fiction to show some scary scenarios with that and we have enough real life experience with manufacturers not taking security seriously that those scenarios might become real. So I kind of want self driving cars but I kind of don't

  5. Even a camera and sensors is very effective by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    My Camry has a backup camera and cross-traffic sensors. It will not brake automatically (I think that was added the following year). The camera gives me a wider angle view than is possible looking from the drivers seat, and the cross-traffic sensors set off an alert about a passing car or pedestrian well before I would be able to see them myself, especially if I'm next to one or two large vehicles. If it beeps I stop, wait to see if anything goes past, and if not I back up extra cautiously just in case. I don't know about implementations on other cars, but on mine it's incredibly accurate. The only time it doesn't go off is if a car/person is already within view of the camera.

  6. THANKS CAPT. OBVIOUS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please refer to title..

  7. Well duh by AlanObject · · Score: 2

    I'm so old I remember back in the 70s the taxicab companies in New York discovered that putting a brake light in the rear window of their cars cut rear-ending accidents by 60%. The light was at eye level (for a driver) rather than bumper level.

    You would have thought they had re-invented fire, the wheel, and all the rest of science and how marvelous everyone thought that was.

    Now a car that brakes automatically before it hits something. My my.

    Now, as then, my reaction is the only astounding thing is how absolutely anyone could be surprised at the result.

  8. Here is another way to cut backup crashes by DaveV1.0 · · Score: 2

    Stop driving behind people when they are backing up.

    --
    There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
    1. Re:Here is another way to cut backup crashes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you do realise that in most backup crashes, the car crashed into isn't moving ?

    2. Re:Here is another way to cut backup crashes by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Oh I didn't realise that cars were the only thing that cars crash into. Makes sense though. People have never backed into poles, trees, people, the end of their garage or any other stationary object.

    3. Re:Here is another way to cut backup crashes by mjwx · · Score: 1

      Stop driving behind people when they are backing up.

      Here's another novel idea... Learn how to drive.

      Or more specifically, the rules around driving. When you're reversing you are responsible to ensure that no-one else is in your path. It is not the responsibility of everyone else to make sure they are out of your way. If you hit someone whilst reversing it is in almost all cases, your fault.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    4. Re:Here is another way to cut backup crashes by hawk · · Score: 1

      Pull your headlines on. In that moment, tailgaters don't have the time to distinguish the difference in brightness between taillights and brakelights . . .

      Porches buck quite nicely, and with motorcycles, you can actually see them reach for the brake . . . :)

      hawk

    5. Re:Here is another way to cut backup crashes by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      Nobody is worried about you reversing and denting a car. We mandated backup cameras because you can't see small children behind the vehicle. If you reverse over a child, they will usually die and it doesn't matter whose fault it is, you've still got a tragedy. So at the expense of not letting some people feel like superior human beings based on their supposed skills backing up a vehicle, we put in a camera and a sensor that reduces human carnage.

    6. Re:Here is another way to cut backup crashes by DaveV1.0 · · Score: 1

      Yes, and I do that. But, that doesn't help when I'm backing out carefully and someone decides they shouldn't have to wait and drives behind me AFTER I HAVE ALREADY STARTED BACKING OUT. Driving behind someone who is backing out is a dick move, something you are probably familiar with. And, you know when it is an especially dick move? When the car can't see you because there is an SUV or van blocking the driver's view.

      --
      There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
  9. Let's prevent rear end collisions also by Ichijo · · Score: 2

    Now that cars can detect objects in close proximity to the rear and automatically brake for them, why not take the next step by adding a feature to brake-check tailgaters? Ensuring a safe following distance in back would make it safer to brake hard to avoid collisions in front.

    --
    Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
    1. Re: Let's prevent rear end collisions also by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cars should brake-fluid tailgaters. Put a little brake-fluid sprayer under the bumper. Let it go at people tailgating you. Brake fliud is a 'normal' thing that plausibly could leak innocently, and it wil dissolve paint off the body of the tailgater's car.

    2. Re:Let's prevent rear end collisions also by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      oh i dont know, maybe because brake checking actually causes more accidents! People who brake check are actually a good cause of traffic and accidents on your morning commute. You are concerned for your safety but not the safety of the people affected when a driver following to close to you over reacts and swerves in to another lane with out looking to see if anyone is there or completely locks up their brakes and goes into the ditch only to have body parts from their disintegrating car fly back on to the road and hit law abiding drivers. Im glad that you thought of any unintended consequences of your actions, you sound very self entitled.

      You would have been better off suggesting that the rearward facing camera takes a picture of their license plate and uses on-board connectivity to report said vehicle to the authorities (note would also require a law requiring front license plates which is not mandatory in every state) but my main point here is that this is a low impact solution that only targets the offending driver without putting anyone else at risk from your selfish ideas

    3. Re:Let's prevent rear end collisions also by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

      an ever-so-gentle touch on the brake pedal to make the brake light come on without slowing usually deters tailgaters as they shit themselves. Its not much different than pressing the brake pedal when you really need to slow down quickly, but without the fool behind sandwiching you into whatever you tried to avoid hitting.

    4. Re:Let's prevent rear end collisions also by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Now that cars can detect objects in close proximity to the rear and automatically brake for them, why not take the next step by adding a feature to brake-check tailgaters? Ensuring a safe following distance in back would make it safer to brake hard to avoid collisions in front.

      Or you could move over out of the fast lane.

    5. Re:Let's prevent rear end collisions also by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      When somebody is too close in the rear, the correct action is just to let off of the gas. Slow down enough and their short distance will be the recommended safe distance for the speed you are traveling.

  10. In other news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cars continue to get more expensive as more mandatory safety equipment is added.

    1. Re:In other news by scdeimos · · Score: 2

      Even with all the safety features cars today are the cheaper than they were twenty years ago (compared to annual income). Modern build quality sucks, though.

    2. Re: In other news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mmm ... Ithat's plausible, but the relevant comparison is minimum wage v.s. Low end car with insurance. Costs of car insurance is going up because the "replace a steel bumper" accidents of 40 years ago are now more than a thousand dollars of sensors, before labor.

    3. Re: In other news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A coworker recently bought a cabin, and a bunch of us went out to help him clean it out. There were a bunch of old newspapers from the 90s being used as insulation. As they were full of car ads, we quickly realized that the cars they were selling then were pretty much the same price as today, in terms of just dollar value not even considering inflation. Considering minimum wage has changed since then, it would seem even the lowest wages are outpacing car prices. And some of the advertised fuel economies were a joke, so it would be cheaper to operate too.

    4. Re: In other news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The sensors are only $1000 if you buy them from the stealership. Go on alibaba and buy them from the original manufacturer in China at $10 each (or buy in bulk at $100 for 50, and sell the rest on ebay for a tidy profit).

  11. Trading Lives For Bumpers by kackle · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Annnnd, what happens when I'm trying to back away from danger into some tall grass; is it going to let me, or is it going to overrule the human? I'm sick to death of engineers, etc., thinking they've thought of everything, to the detriment of the unsuspecting users, decades later.

    1. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Won't somebody please think of the children!

    2. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I suppose you are also one of those unfortunate souls who's seatbelt saved your life and are now spending it devoted to raising anti-seatbelt awareness because of your crushing neck and back pain.

      All of life carries risk, your singular exception are no more special than the rest of our day to day survival.

      Want to avoid the danger you are trying to back away from in to that tall grass? Try avoiding it in the fist place you dip****

    3. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously the car should do the sensible thing and stop you from going into the long grass, to prevent you and everyone else with you from being slaughtered by velociraptors.

    4. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Annnnd, what happens when I'm trying to back away from danger into some tall grass; is it going to let me, or is it going to overrule the human? I'm sick to death of engineers, etc., thinking they've thought of everything, to the detriment of the unsuspecting users, decades later.

      So you've already decided that this is going to happen? Having a backup camera already, tall grass doesn't look a thing like a car or a small child, so it won't be hard to electronically differentiate. Just sayin.

      And what about your constitutional right to run into things? Something something liberals. Anyhow make certain you start cutting the grass in your backyard again, if that's what you are worried about. Those damn teenagers are hiding in it.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    5. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by Jeremi · · Score: 2

      What's going to happen is that the car is going to come to a stop until/unless you press the "override" button. Once you've done that, you can do whatever you like, and take responsibility for whatever outcome occurs.

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    6. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by slazzy · · Score: 1

      I saw a YouTube video on how one of these systems works. To disable you have to turn it off, put it back into drive and then back into reverse or something then it disables.

      --
      Website Just Down For Me? Find out
    7. Re: Trading Lives For Bumpers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We are. We want to take safety to the level that no one dies. We will create barriers that will protect all humans from death and themselves. Sure, the population will explode, but after out robots feed us food created from insect protein, we can sustain in a virtual environment with less than 30 inches of personal space. The hive virtual society will be more important than individual needs anyway. Legacy antiques, like self driving cars with cigarette smoke detection and suppression systems wont be needed anymore. Come to think of it, with the DNA Integrated Crispr Cloning Kabalism System (DICCKS), children will be obsolete. Pffft, children. You luddite.

    8. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by sad_ · · Score: 1

      by then it is too late.

      --
      On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
    9. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by sad_ · · Score: 1

      i see your point, and understand. the thing is that you have a choice
      1. you back out yourself and hit a wall/car/person
      2. your car doesn't allow you to back out and you get hit in the front

      none of these is good, both are an accident, but i think it will differ in who is to blame. in 1 you are to blame, in 2 the other party is to blame.

      --
      On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
    10. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by jittles · · Score: 1

      by then it is too late.

      Some people were born to be T-Rex food.

    11. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by Holi · · Score: 1

      "Annnnd, what happens when I'm trying to back away from danger into some tall grass;"

      Sure, let's base all our policies on situations that 99.9% of our population will never encounter.

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
    12. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So why don't you get in touch with those engineers and let them know of all those imaginary scenarios they're apparently unable to think of, despite that being part of their job, so they can take them into consideration? You might even get a full-time job out of it. Win-win.

    13. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by Dragonslicer · · Score: 1

      Annnnd, what happens when I'm trying to back away from danger into some tall grass; is it going to let me, or is it going to overrule the human? I'm sick to death of engineers, etc., thinking they've thought of everything, to the detriment of the unsuspecting users, decades later.

      This was you, wasn't it?

    14. Re:Trading Lives For Bumpers by edtice1559 · · Score: 1

      I hate it when I'm backing away from danger into some tall grass and my car gets all dirty. Oh wait that's happened exactly never outside of movies. And surely there will be an override button for the foreseeable future. If for no other reason that you will need it while backing a trailer for quite some time until the trailers start having to have secondary cameras and a standardized connector.

  12. I'm still scared. Not of the tech, the security.. by GregMmm · · Score: 1

    Should the auto manufacturers work on getting real security into their vehicles before we install auto braking or anything that adjusts the car for you?

  13. OK, wait a second here... by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 1

    Maybe I'm not seeing it right, but isn't "reverse automatic braking" what you do when the traffic light turns yellow as you approach?

    --
    You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
  14. NEWSFLASH: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    78% of people who have crashes while reversing aren't paying attention to what's around them.

  15. Great but likely still buggy. by chatoitaly · · Score: 1

    Seen quite a few Tesla model x cars trying to back into supercharging stalls and they keep automatically braking. They finally give up and just drive away. Cars should definitely at least do more slowing down when they detect objects in front, but there should be some happy medium and not just slam on the brakes to cause folks behind to rear end you especially due to mistakes of sensors braking and slowing you down. Personally, I've always been one for cars trying to adapt by modulating it's taking over of the steering, brake and accelerator but allowing one the ability to overcome the effect by purposely overcoming the feedback.

  16. Re:I'm still scared. Not of the tech, the security by jrumney · · Score: 2

    Brake pipes have never been secure, and it really isn't that big of a problem. So now someone can tap a wire and mess with your brakes in more ways than just draining the fluid to stop them working. Fantasies about controlling a car's brakes via the radio's Bluetooth connection aside, what threats do you actually see here? CAN networks have been separated between the high-speed engine management and safety network and the low speed infotainment, climate control and other "comfort" features on most cars for at least a decade now.

  17. I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you do that by aberglas · · Score: 1

    My Citroen bleats at any grass, so I generally ignore it. But fortunately it does not stop me driving.

  18. Backup cameras are a bad idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People tend to just look at the camera when they are backing up, instead of looking around them and checking their mirrors.

    Sonar/radar backup systems that beep (beep faster as you get closer) when you are close to an object are much better - the beeping tells you how how close you are, while you can still look around.

    1. Re:Backup cameras are a bad idea by technosaurus · · Score: 1

      I had an 1989 RV with a backup camera system. Since there were no rear windows and there was a blind spot between the rear view mirrors, the camera was necessary. Unfortunately there was about a 1 second delay ... just long enough to hit the object of avoidance right when I braked.
      With these new systems let's just hope we don't get rear-ended into the path of an oncoming train(s) with no safe way to move forward. I'd do something like disabling it if you double-tapped the brakes.

    2. Re:Backup cameras are a bad idea by fedos · · Score: 1

      Cameras can provide a better field of view than turning around or using your mirrors. A proper rearview camera system would be much safer than looking around and checking your mirrors.

  19. Will it make it safer to back up my computer too? by InterGuru · · Score: 1

    I had crashes doing that also.

  20. Bird view cameras by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Search for bird view 360 camera. They are 4 cameras that cover all sides of the vehicle and the views are remapped to give a view from overhead with a picture of the car in the middle for reference.

    You get a view as if a drone is flying overhead looking down on your car. No blind spots, and distance is easily judged.

    They make such a major difference to driving, parking and reversing. Every car should have these, but you can get aftermark fits for them.

    1. Re:Bird view cameras by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They make such a major difference to driving, parking and reversing. Every car should have these, but you can get aftermark fits for them.

      I concur that they are excellent for parking and reversing... but if they're excellent for driving as you claim then you need to hand in your license.

    2. Re:Bird view cameras by michelcolman · · Score: 2

      Cameras are great, indeed. I just hope they're not going to mandate automatic backup braking with current backup sensors. Mine go "bip bip bip bip BEEEEEEEEP" when I'm still 40 cm from anything. If the car then refuses to move further, parking is going to become very difficult.

    3. Re: Bird view cameras by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hubris

    4. Re: Bird view cameras by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I imagine it will be something like traction control today - 99% of the time it is enabled and helpful, and for the other 1% there will be a way to defeat it temporarily

    5. Re:Bird view cameras by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

      braking doesn't mean stopping, so if the brakes are automatically applied the closer you get to something the chances are they'll slow you down to a stop a few cm away even if they start to be applied 40cm away.

  21. Terrifying auto-braking during false positives by OnceWas · · Score: 2

    I rented a car with automatic braking, and the false positives are terrifying. I routinely triggered the autobraking when backing out of driveways onto the road, where there's a change in gradient. The ABS kicks in, and it sounds like your car has bottomed out and is grinding against the ground.

    It's particularly annoying because you can see on the reverse camera that there's nothing behind you, so you start doubting yourself, the camera, and the car. It's kind of like a random punishment system. You don't know what's going to cause the next zap, so there's no clear corrective path of action to take to correct this.

    --
    Laugh while you can, monkey-boy.
    1. Re:Terrifying auto-braking during false positives by technosaurus · · Score: 1

      solution: same thing I use on my laptop camera, electrical tape

    2. Re:Terrifying auto-braking during false positives by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      Both of our vehicles have warning sensors, but thankfully not the braking. The sensors will go off if I take curve in "spirited" driving...and yes, I do tend to test the limits a bit. Though they've come in handy a few times by warning of suddenly braking traffic ahead before I even saw it, and FWIW, I'm not one to take my eyes off the road for cell phones or other such nonsense. So, I like the warnings, but would never every buy a vehicle with the automatic braking...you're likely to get plowed into from behind, and then you'll be at fault.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    3. Re:Terrifying auto-braking during false positives by Enigma2175 · · Score: 1

      you're likely to get plowed into from behind, and then you'll be at fault.

      What country do you live in where you're at fault when you're rear-ended?

      --

      Enigma

    4. Re:Terrifying auto-braking during false positives by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      In India you can be at fault for having stopped at a red light. It depends on the size of the guy (plus companions) of the car which rear-ended you while trying to jump the red traffic light.

    5. Re:Terrifying auto-braking during false positives by dcw3 · · Score: 1
      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    6. Re:Terrifying auto-braking during false positives by Enigma2175 · · Score: 1

      Yes, your link shows that there are a few corner cases where a rear-ended driver might be considered partially at fault, but even then the other driver is partially at fault too. From your link: "The driver of the car that rear-ends a leading vehicle will almost always be considered at least partially negligent." The point is moot though, since in the specific case were were discussing (car autobrakes unexpectedly) the driver of the leading car would never be considered negligent. The rear-ending car might have a case against the car's manufacturer but they certainly wouldn't have a case against the driver of the rear-ended car as he was not negligent -- he didn't design the auto-braking system and didn't use it improperly.

      --

      Enigma

  22. Just bought a 2018 Subaru with this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Saturday I bought a 2018 Subaru with automatic backup breaking. The *first* time I reversed the car out of my garage onto the street, the car slammed the breaks so hard I nearly lost my grip on the steering wheel. I quickly checked the backup camera to see what the car had seen... I saw... nothing... no people, no cars, no cats, nada. "WHAT THE **** CAR!" Its been almost a week, and I haven't had any similar incidents, but needless to say I am now leery each time I put it in reverse.

    On the plus side, the full-range adaptive cruise control is amazing. The car uses cameras to optically track the the car ahead and will manage the throttle and break pedal in stop and go traffic as well as freeway speeds. Its both strange and beautiful to be able to work through a series of anti-timed stoplights without touching the pedals at all... just a single tap on a steering wheel button gives the car a few seconds of 'permission' to release the breaks and accelerate if the car ahead starts moving. The car will keep up with the flow of traffic and will bring itself back to a full stop with no other intervention.

    (I still treat the car as a 15 year old who has only been behind the wheel for 5 days. I stand by ready to slam on the break if it does anything stupid, but it is still amazing what the car can do).

  23. Mark Cavendish begs to differ by tangent3 · · Score: 1

    Automatic braking sensor just caused a crash in a professional cycling race a couple of days ago

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/new...

    1. Re:Mark Cavendish begs to differ by dcw3 · · Score: 1

      Ha...I posted the same article before reading through comments. I would however argue that following a vehicle too closely isn't the fault of the vehicle.

      While the riders on either side of the slowing lead car simply rode past it, those directly behind it were forced to suddenly brake, and Cavendish was unable to avoid touching the rear wheel of Leonardo Basso (Team Sky) and fell heavily.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    2. Re:Mark Cavendish begs to differ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Brake checking the close following cyclists does seem to be the fault of the car, however. Why would the car apply the brakes when the rear sensors detect objects when the car is moving forwards? That does not make sense, unless the car's designers were deliberately being assholes, but then they should be working for BMW or Audi, not Mercedes Benz.

  24. I was thinking: can't you just look back... by dargaud · · Score: 1
    But then I remember 2 decades ago while in the US. We would go to lunch with colleagues and take as few cars as possible, in turns. One day we get into a new colleague's car and she steps on the gas in reverse to get out of her parking spot, without looking. We ask: "Hey, why didn't you look before backing up?!?", "And how would I do that?", "Well, you could turn your head or look into your mirrors", and the answer: "Pfff, they do that in the movies!!!".

    Well, then maybe this system isn't so bad after all if it keeps stupid jerks like that from killing bystanders. Needless to say we never got into her car again after that.

    --
    Non-Linux Penguins ?
    1. Re:I was thinking: can't you just look back... by mixed_signal · · Score: 1

      People like that should take the bus. Seriously, if they can't be responsible vehicle operators then they've made that decision themselves.

  25. Not for Me by dcw3 · · Score: 1

    I will never own a vehicle with automatic brakes. Warning sensor?...sure, Brakes?...never. I have two vehicles in my garage, right now, with brake warning sensor. In any kind of spirited driving, they often give off false alarms. Are they going to put in sensors in the rear to make sure you don't get plowed into from the guy behind who was tailgating, because you're the one who's going to legally be at fault. And this just in...

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/new...

    --
    Just another day in Paradise
    1. Re:Not for Me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And yes, I know TFA is discussing reverse. But I decided to take the opportunity to get on my soapbox.

  26. Re:I'm still scared. Not of the tech, the security by dcw3 · · Score: 1
    --
    Just another day in Paradise
  27. Re:I'm still scared. Not of the tech, the security by jrumney · · Score: 1

    And you wonder why the rest of the world doesn't buy American made cars...

  28. So much for by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Women parallel parking, the car will just keep applying the brakes.

  29. I see the reverse lights on the car pulling out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know I will drive right behind him and get a check.

  30. Automatic braking. by alfredo · · Score: 1

    At the Abu Dhabi Tour, Pro cyclist Mark Cavendish was knocked out of the race by a car with automatic braking. There was congestion in front and back of the car, and that triggered the sudden braking. Cavendish hit the car, went down and was injured.

    --
    photosMy Photostream
  31. "good" automatic transmission by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Manual transmissions used to have advantages over automatic for fuel economy and performance. Those days are over. At this point, manual transmissions are for hipsters, and cars with manual transmissions should really only come with one of these as its entertainment system.

    I own a 2003 Golf TDI with stick. How much do I have to pay for a "good" automatic? While you can get good ones, a lot of time you have go up in price (or add a Sports Package) to get better heuristics. Though many cars have a "manual override" place on the gear selector.

    What, in your opinion, are some sub-$30K cars with non-annoying transmissions? Or are they all "good" (in your opinion) nowadays?

  32. Re:Not 100%? No, not 100% yet. by bigpat · · Score: 1

    If we're headed for self-driving cars this seemingly trivial problem should be closer to 100% not 78%.

    Sounds like the problem is the corners. Need additional cameras for checking to the sides for scenarios where you are turning and backing up and also when other objects are moving. And it does require much additional computation to predict movement of multiple objects relative to one another so bare bones automatic breaking is really about just automatically stopping when something is already in the warning area regardless of whether it is moving or not. To get to 100% you need to add side views and have software that is extrapolating movements of other vehicles, people, children, pets, shopping carts, etc.

    These are largely solved problems from a technology perspective with multiple ways of doing it for some companies like Waymo and maybe GM and a few others, but putting these features into cars and making these features affordable for mass production and consumption is going to take a few more years.

    Still...dumb automatic breaking can help avoid 62% of accidents... that is a win. Looks like at least minor accident rates are going to go down by at least half in the next ten years which is a huge hugely good thing for everyone besides repair shops and insurance companies.

    Unfortunately I would suspect that to avoid most fatalities it will require more sophisticated autonomous driving among all the car makers which is a level that apparently only a few companies have achieved so far.

  33. And in a related story by Drunkulus · · Score: 1

    Study Finds Looking Where You Are Going Can Cut Backup Crashes By 84%

  34. because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The reason we need backup cameras is because the car makers have made it impossible to see out the back of the car. The rear window is too high to accommodate bigger trunk on miniature car, there is no windshield wiper/washer on it, the rear roof posts are massive to mitigate crumpling in rollover, can't see past headrests to mitigate injury in rear-end collisions, etc.

  35. Would it work at high speed? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I imagine a minivan equipped with automatic braking would have still hit the parked car due to the angle of impact. https://youtu.be/6MJ_D7DaH-w

  36. baseline? by mixed_signal · · Score: 1

    How many backup related accidents are there? How much will it cost to add? And how much more in repairs when the sensors or cameras go bad? And how much shorter will the service life of the vehicle be? These trade-offs, vs better driver education and enforcement are rarely discussed. The safety industry seems to have a good track record of foisting questionable and expensive systems on the auto industry. Air bags that are too powerful for smaller occupants or that go off too easily and then require thousands of dollars for repair work to the dash and refitting are a good example. Remember when they were supposed to be "supplemental restraint systems"?

    1. Re:baseline? by ThosLives · · Score: 1

      Back when just backup cameras, not the auto-braking, was made mandatory in the US, it was something like 300-400 backup-related deaths per year estimated saved at a cost of about $200 per vehicle, or about $3.4 B total cost to the US market per year, or something like $8-$11M per life saved.

      We are well past the economically sensible rate of return on investment for these features (per capita GDP is only about $2.5M per lifetime). But when western culture is "prevent harm at any cost" this is what happens.

      It's unpopular and perhaps insensitive to say it - because none of us wants to be the person affected by such an accident - but those are the hard numbers. Generally speaking, in rich countries, we are throwing unsustainable sums of money at the long tail of some hazards while eschewing much higher ROI activities.

      For instance, if we spent $3.5B on coronary bypass surgeries instead of backup cameras we'd probably save close to 45000 lives per year (and that's at the high mean cost of $75k per bypass surgery in the US). That's more than all automotive deaths per year in the US by a significant amount, and safely two orders of magnitude more than just the cost/benefit for backup cameras.

      --
      "There are a dozen opinions on a matter until you know the truth. Then there is only one." - CS Lewis (paraprhase)
  37. Re:I'm still scared. Not of the tech, the security by dcw3 · · Score: 1

    Yeah, because only American made cars can be hacked. Good luck with that.

    --
    Just another day in Paradise
  38. Re:I'm still scared. Not of the tech, the security by jrumney · · Score: 1

    So far it seems that way - Chrysler, Tesla and Tesla. German cars have had firewalled CAN since forever, and Japanese are too conservative to add remote control "features" to their cars before all the quality issues are ironed out. I guess the Koreans and Chinese are probably carrying a similar risk as the US in terms of adding new features based on the latest "cloud" trends without thinking them through.

  39. Higher TCO. by Agripa · · Score: 1

    Great, more stuff to pay for and more stuff to break. As a bonus, DRM can be included to prevent third party repairs.

  40. Trump has to undo everything good Obama did by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Including the backup camera requirement... Forcing car makers to install a $20 part to keep a few hundred people a year from backing over kids or damaging their cars isn't "freedom"

    https://www.ceoutlook.com/2017/06/26/trump-admin-may-change-backup-camera-law/

  41. Re:I'm still scared. Not of the tech, the security by jrumney · · Score: 1

    None of these is about messing with the brakes. The first three are about being able to operate convenience features like remote unlock and remote start by connecting directly to the car's modem (ie, all the authentication in these systems is server side). The 4th one says that - shock horror - you can update the software in your entertainment system from a USB stick. And the last one is about a bug in the app for Hyundais that let hackers steal your password so they can use the app themselves.

  42. Re:I'm still scared. Not of the tech, the security by dcw3 · · Score: 1

    I never said they were, and you hadn't implied that you were specifically talking about brakes in my response regarding American vehicles getting hacked. There are plenty of other hacks out there, and I'm not going to go search them just for brakes just because you've got some kind of problem with American vehicles.

    --
    Just another day in Paradise