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Tesla Files Patent For Automatic Turn Signals (cnet.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the hands-free dept.

Tesla has filed a patent for automatic turn signals. The filing details a system that uses Autopilot sensors to determine when drivers are going to make a turn and signal automatically. CNET reports: Tesla wants its vehicles to signal automatically without the driver needing to go through the agony that is lifting their finger and moving it up or down by several inches. The way that Tesla envisions it working is that the car detects the driver's intent to change lanes or make a turn by using the Autopilot hardware at its disposal, it then works to sense if there are other vehicles nearby and if it detects them, it puts the signal on for the driver. If it works, it will be brilliant but given the fact that Tesla has remained adamant that it doesn't need driver monitoring systems for Autopilot, it seems questionable that the vehicle would be able to detect a driver's intent to turn based solely on external observation.

161 comments

  1. Wrong patent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They should also file a patent for a retard CEO who tweets himself into securities fraud or union busting trouble. This is something novel and should be immediately patented.

  2. I have a patent myself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I filed it on not using your turn signal.

    That means every time you don't use it, you have to pay me a license fee.

    1. Re:I have a patent myself by oneiros27 · · Score: 1

      You'd make a fortune in Kentucky. When I lived there ~20 years ago if you saw someone use their turn signals on I64, it was even odds that they had out-of-state plates.

      I have no idea what the situation is now, but based on my co-workers being surprised when I turned my head to check my blind spot when changing lanes, I'm guessing it hasn't changed much.

      --
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    2. Re: I have a patent myself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Makes sense, family trees in Kentucky go straight with no branches

    3. Re:I have a patent myself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Seriously.
      How will the former BMW drivers disable it?

    4. Re:I have a patent myself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ha ha, god forbid there should be an original joke on /. Now fuck off you unfunny cunt, there's fuckers not indicating in all marques of car.

    5. Re:I have a patent myself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Found the BMW owner. I hear the whole manual is a pamphlet that tells you to "Just drive like an asshole." ;^)

    6. Re:I have a patent myself by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      You'd make a fortune in Kentucky. When I lived there ~20 years ago if you saw someone use their turn signals on I64, it was even odds that they had out-of-state plates.

      Or were about to turn in the opposite direction. I gave a summer seminar at the University of Louisville years ago, and I never saw so many drivers who were clearly totally wasted. They make some nice bourbon down there, so it was totally understandable. I knew tenured professors there who kept a bottle of Pappy or some other fine bourbon in their desk.

      --
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    7. Re:I have a patent myself by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Found the BMW owner.

      Yes, the fact that he said "marques of car" gave it away.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    8. Re:I have a patent myself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Welcome, Herr Audi, to our humble forum.

  3. Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So Tesla is doing mind reading tech now?

    1. Re:Detect Intent? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Insightful

      So Tesla is doing mind reading tech now?

      If you are using the built in GPS, then the car knows the destination. If the directions say to turn at the next intersection, and the driver merges into the right lane and slows down, it is reasonable to assume the intent is to turn. They can also keep a count of how often the driver turns without signaling, and "help" those with poor habits.

      Anyway, 99% of "obvious" patents posted on Slashdot are really not so obvious. You have to read the "claims" section, written in dense legalize, to understand what is actually being patented, and it is usually very different from the headline written to manufacture outrage.

      Disclaimer: I have not read the patent.

    2. Re:Detect Intent? by Rei · · Score: 4, Informative

      Why don't people actually read the patent?

      The patent is an extension on an already-extant concept of automatic turn signals based on a person about to leave a lane. These suffer from an excessive rate of false negatives and can annoy the driver. The patent extends the concept to reduce the rate of false negatives by checking to see if a turn signal would actually even benefit anyone, and if not, not bothering to turn it on. The flow chart (as spelled out in Fig. 12-14) is "Is vehicle about to cross lane line?" -> "Is driver applying steering action?" -> "Is another vehicle in the vicinity that would benefit?" -> "Activate turn signal". Other elements of nuance include things like where the road is going and thus whether the steering input is likely simply to keep the driver within their lane; and looking at the route the user has selected in navigation to see whether they're likely to (or at least supposed to) be taking a given exit and are likely switching lanes for that.

      It's basically just taking more data into account in order to reduce the false positive rate on an already-existing concept.

      --
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    3. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Headlines for outrage is the only literacy left in America. Witness exhibit A. 'President' Trump, and exhibit B. 'Alt', C. exhibit C. 'Q-', and exhibit D. 'Political News'. Notice that exhibit D. is news expressly designed for political impact, not news about political events.

    4. Re:Detect Intent? by Jzanu · · Score: 0

      You shouldn't trust Tesla auto-anything to find "other vehicles" that are moving when their limited visual sensors can't even find a non-moving concrete barrier wall on a sunny day. Attach an array of single direction semi-conductor LIDAR (it exists already, and multiple companies are already selling it) and maybe, but not until then.

    5. Re:Detect Intent? by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 3, Informative

      If ... the driver merges into the right lane and slows down

      Which should only happen after a turn signal is activated, and a head and mirror check. Right?

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    6. Re:Detect Intent? by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      That would be illegal in Washington, and many other States. Changing a lane without a signal is a traffic infraction; I hope Tesla likes to pay for those!

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    7. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, but the law in my state says you need to signal such things as lane changes and turns for a few seconds before actually making the move. So, how does the Tesla divine that without risking signalling when it isn't needed, which is also very confusing to other drivers? Oh, I know! A Tesla will just drive with the turn signals constantly engaged, switching from left to right every few seconds. Brilliant!

    8. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think you mean "false positives", i.e. system decides lane change is imminent but it was just the driver ping-ponging down the lane? False negative would be that the system does not activate the turn signal as the driver careens across the lane line.

    9. Re:Detect Intent? by djinn6 · · Score: 2

      I can tell with a decent accuracy whether someone is planning to change lanes. Most of the time they'll shift slightly closer to the other lane first to get a better look. If there's a slow car in front of them, they'll also scoot a bit closer. Some will slow down a bit to let me pass more quickly.

      Then every once in a while some idiot in the fast lane will suddenly brake. When I see this I know they're about to miss their exit and will try to cross 4 lanes of traffic in just as many seconds.

      Other cases aren't so certain, but helps me prepare for sudden movements. If there's a long line of cars joining the freeway, a few of them will pull out into the 2nd lane, usually the ones doing the tailgating first. Same goes for anytime there's a sudden slowdown in the fast lane.

    10. Re:Detect Intent? by mlyle · · Score: 1

      This is the car "saving you" from violating this law. It's OK if it tries to only do it when it's pretty sure you forgot and not other times when it thinks you chose not to signal on purpose or that signalling may not be appropriate.

    11. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Other cases aren't so certain, but helps me prepare for sudden movements.

      There's no single explanation. There's no central destination.

      If there's a long line of cars joining the freeway, a few of them will pull out into the 2nd lane, usually the ones doing the tailgating first.

      But this long line of cars is trying to get through, and this long line of cars is all because of you.

    12. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you are using the built in GPS, then the car knows the destination.

      What about the other 98% of the time?
      I know how to get to the grocery store; and back home.
      I only use the GPS when I don't know where I'm going. And even then I usually know how to get 70-90% there and only use the GPS at the end.

    13. Re:Detect Intent? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      A Tesla will just drive with the turn signals constantly engaged, switching from left to right every few seconds.

      That's how my mother-in-law's been driving for years.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    14. Re:Detect Intent? by Livius · · Score: 1

      I could see how this might be cool from a technology perspective, but I have a lot of difficulty believing that it could reach a level of accuracy that could have any practical value.

      The real solution is that any driver relying on "automatic turn signals" needs to be taken off the road and not allowed to drive.

    15. Re:Detect Intent? by novakyu · · Score: 0

      In other words, Tesla will force their "autonomous" cars to drive like the worst driver you can imagine. Have they learned nothing from Uber killing pedestrians left and right?

    16. Re: Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They havenâ(TM)t learned anything from their own shit cars driving into the back of bright red easy to see fire trucks.

    17. Re:Detect Intent? by novakyu · · Score: 1

      But you are a human being with actual intelligence.

      Artificial "intelligence" comes nowhere close to the intuitive understanding humans have of other human behaviors.

    18. Re: Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > I know how to get to the grocery store; and back home.

      And so will the car. That is, it will be able to recognize your routes and be able to guess much of the time where you're going, even if you don't tell it.

    19. Re:Detect Intent? by hey! · · Score: 1

      I have no question a system which had enough data could do better than random chance at anticipating a turn. The question is how far in advance and how much better than chance?

      It's a long established result in neuroscience that your conscious awareness of deciding to move voluntarily actually lags the activation of your motor neurons to actually move by hundreds of milliseconds. Our conscious timeline in which we are aware of the desire to move and the move follows is actually an out-of-order fiction constructed by our brains. Recent research has pushed the awareness of intent in some cases as far back as ten seconds after the actual unconscious decision is made.

      If you've ever played a sport like boxing or fencing you'll have had the experience of apparently instantaneous reactions, but really that's just things happening faster than your brain can construct conscious experience of them.

      A system that had access to your neural state could probably reliably anticipate your conscious intent to turn by a second or more, but presumably you won't be sticking electrodes on your scalp when you get in the car. The car is going to have to infer what's going on in your head by behavioral cues, and I doubt it will be able to do it accurately enough far enough ahead to be useful -- unless Tesla engineers have noticed something about driver behavior that nobody else was aware of yet. But an invention doesn't have to work well enough to be practical to get patented.

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    20. Re: Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      These people are probably worst drivers themselves, honestly thinking turn signals are optional or that you can do it after starting making a turn, or that false signals cant lead to crashes! Told you so beforehand!

    21. Re:Detect Intent? by Kjella · · Score: 1

      The patent is an extension on an already-extant concept of automatic turn signals based on a person about to leave a lane.

      Really? Never heard of it. Even if all the claims held what you essentially got is an auto-blink that'll start after the person is already crossing into a different lane. Which is legally too late in most jurisdictions and would lead consumers to believe they don't need to blink because the car will do that. But I guess that's the same story as the autopilot, who needs to drive when the car can do that? Tesla makes really great electric cars, but when it comes to self-driving features they're one notch above Uber in shadiness.

      --
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    22. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's just a theory. You don't buy a TESLA to play with lights, you buy it to fly in it.

    23. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But you could improve the AI by giving it the ability to determine the brand of car ahead, or whether the driver is over 60 and wearing a hat.

    24. Re:Detect Intent? by q_e_t · · Score: 1

      Wouldn't 'even benefit anyone' not necessarily comply with traffic laws in all locations? It might need to be GPS-aware so it knows if you are crossing from state-to-state, or country-to-country. This is also a potential complication for SDCs, and in some places (e.g. Northern Ireland and Eire) the road can swap across borders every few hundred metres on an otherwise straightforward drive down the same road.

    25. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They can also keep a count of how often the driver turns without signaling, and "help" those with poor habits.

      Better solution: Force the car to the side of the road, kill the engine, dial the non-emergency police number, and report the driver for failure to signal. :)

    26. Re:Detect Intent? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      They can also keep a count of how often the driver turns without signaling, and "help" those with poor habits.

      It probably is a lot easier to detect if a driver should have signalled (and didn't), so that's not a bad idea. Especially if by "help" you mean electroshock to the groin.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    27. Re:Detect Intent? by djinn6 · · Score: 1

      I think my intelligence allows me to reason about why these drivers do these things and maybe extrapolate it to other situations. As far as recognizing the risk though, just experience alone should be sufficient. It just so happens that that's also what today's "AI" is not terrible at.

      Maybe in 70% of the cases, a car edging towards another lane means they're trying to change lanes. If you drive for a million miles, you'll be able to come up with that using just statistics. If you record and label those million miles, you can also train a neural network to recognize it.

      The hard part is not that one situation, but thousands of other situations that also need to be recognized. And after recognizing them, some action might need to be taken to mitigate the risk. That's where self-driving cars are having trouble, since that must still be programmed the old fashioned way.

      Now if you want to go one step further, you might also want self-driving cars to also behave the same way as humans, so other drivers can continue to receive those cues.

    28. Re:Detect Intent? by Whibla · · Score: 2

      The patent extends the concept to reduce the rate of false negatives by checking to see if a turn signal would actually even benefit anyone, and if not, not bothering to turn it on... "Is another vehicle in the vicinity that would benefit?"

      What about people?

      When I'm walking down a road and reach a side road I need to cross if there's a car approaching parallel to me I'll pause and check to see if its indicators are flashing before I cross - call it a sensible self preservation tactic. Not that it's a particularly useful tactic though, as it's almost funny how many drivers only indicate after I've stepped into the road. My right of way at that point is somewhat moot.

      Honestly this strikes me as just another aid in training bad drivers to be completely lazy and oblivious to everything around them.

      It's largely because I can put myself in my own shoes and because I'm sure that I'm not always going to see pedestrians, cyclists, motorbikes, or even other cars that, when driving, I always indicate when I'm about to make a turn or to indicate where I'm going to exit on a roundabout - both on approach and during transit. Doing otherwise just isn't courteous, and is tantamount to dangerous driving.

    29. Re:Detect Intent? by _merlin · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but the moment you add a feature like that to catch cases where a person forgets, people come to rely on it. That's why they got rid of the automatic landing gear extension feature on the Piper Arrow - they found that pilots were relying on it and leaving the control in the "retract" position at all times.

    30. Re:Detect Intent? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      It would be better if instead of turning the turn signal on it just warned the driver that they were turning without indicating. Otherwise people are going to start relying on it like they started to rely on autopilot, and not bothering to do it themselves or pay any attention.

      A loud an annoying warning would train people to be better drivers and indicate properly. False positives would be annoying but are going to affect this system just the same.

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    31. Re:Detect Intent? by mjwx · · Score: 1

      If ... the driver merges into the right lane and slows down

      Which should only happen after a turn signal is activated, and a head and mirror check. Right?

      Well the indicator should only go on after mirrors have been checked and if it is safe. So I cant imainge Telsa managing to install automated indicators without installing driver monitoring (which they are adamant they don't need)

      --
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    32. Re:Detect Intent? by shaitand · · Score: 1

      "'Political News'. Notice that exhibit D. is news expressly designed for political impact, not news about political events."

      Ummm.... I'm not sure I've ever seen news about political events that wasn't designed for political impact.

    33. Re:Detect Intent? by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      In most states, you must travel at least 100 feet in a lane with your blinker on before you switch lanes. I guess that Tesla software has to be able to predict the future!

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    34. Re:Detect Intent? by shaitand · · Score: 1

      Whatever is written in the fine print of your state law I imagine it is enforced with roughly the same consistency as jaywalking. In other words, only if you do it on the day the cop quite smoking and his daughter fell in love with a guitar player.

      It doesn't really matter what you are supposed to do if nobody does it we shouldn't be holding out until we attain better than actual human behavior. In the wild seeing someone signal a turn is rare enough let alone a lane change (with a few exceptions in very dense city commute traffic). I do habitually signal but as a defensive driver I generally ignore signals, defensive driving means not taking an action based on the assumption the signal is correct. You don't turn until their vehicle is stopped or there is enough of a gap to make the turn even if they kept going.

    35. Re:Detect Intent? by Dragonslicer · · Score: 1

      Well the indicator should only go on after mirrors have been checked and if it is safe.

      I learned that you turn on the turn signal before checking your mirrors. Of course, when I learned to drive, it was because the driver in the lane next to you might be polite enough to slow down a bit to let you change lanes.

    36. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In heavy traffic, I turn on my signal to let people know that I want to change lanes, even if the way isn't clear. How else are they supposed to know to let me in? I mean, I obviously don't actually move over until the way is clear, but at least they know my intent and can make a gap or or close it and cut me off, giving the person behind them the opportunity to not be a jerk. lol

    37. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the directions say to turn at the next intersection, and the driver merges into the right lane and slows down, it is reasonable to assume the intent is to turn.

      It is too late by that time. The point of signaling is to alert other drivers of your INTENDED action, not the action you are already carrying out. You are supposed to signal BEFORE you merge lanes, slow down, etc. If you don't bother signaling until you carry out the intended action, you're rude/selfish/lazy/incompetent/ignorant.

    38. Re:Detect Intent? by Green+Mountain+Bot · · Score: 1

      You mean that we're supposed to signal what we are going to do, and not what we are already in the process of doing? I don't know ...

    39. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yup, I learned signal first; not for your reason, but to maximize the amount of time you're alerting other drivers to your intent.

    40. Re:Detect Intent? by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      And here I thought I was the only person that watches other drivers and freeway ramps as I approach.

    41. Re:Detect Intent? by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Have they learned nothing from Uber killing pedestrians left and right?

      Hey, Chicken Little, a grand total of 1 pedestrian has been killed by an autonomous Uber vehicle. That's one. Singular, not plural.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    42. Re:Detect Intent? by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      In all fairness, actual intelligence also comes nowhere close to understanding human behavior.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    43. Re:Detect Intent? by novakyu · · Score: 1

      How many human lives are O.K. to kill recklessly? Is "a grand total of 1" the right number for you?

    44. Re:Detect Intent? by Comrade+Ogilvy · · Score: 1

      Probably correct about the sensors they are using now.

      But the clever engineers designing these control systems are also imagining sensors Tesla might use in the future. Noticing that it is possible to improve an algorithm is important, even if it is a theoretical exercise in the medium term.

      When the Musk is asked to write the checks to improve the sensor array from X to either Y or even swankier Z, he will want a list of the delta that Z enables. This could be one bullet point on that list. Now this particular item will be so far down the list that Musk will not even read it, but the little people who do the real implementation will consider it when/if the moment arises.

    45. Re:Detect Intent? by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Don't move the goalposts. You said "Have they learned nothing from Uber killing pedestrians left and right?"

      That's like you losing your virginity and immediately talking about how you're sleeping with women left and right.

      You're just wrong, "pedestrians" have not been killed, that's just a simple fact. "A pedestrian" has been killed.

      At least get the facts right.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    46. Re:Detect Intent? by mlyle · · Score: 1

      I don't see why it's bad for the car to blink the turn signal to notify other people what's happening if the driver has failed to. It seems to deeply offend you, though.

    47. Re:Detect Intent? by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      No, it doesn't offend me, but it's going to make non-use of blinkers even worse. Why? "The car will do it for me". It's bad enough that lots of drivers don't use their turn signals, now it will become even more problematic as "something else will do it".

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    48. Re:Detect Intent? by mlyle · · Score: 1

      Turn signal effort is an enforced exaction, not a voluntary contribution.

    49. Re:Detect Intent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Is another vehicle in the vicinity that would benefit?" -> "Activate turn signal"

      Skipping a step is not an option according to our laws here. It’s not just cars one is indicating for, it’s everything else you don’t see. Skipping this step and then becoming involved in an incident may come down to video footage, and no indication to merge or turn is kind of a big deal for the law AND insurance.

  4. innovation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's great to see the auto industry create a useful innovation

  5. Ah, that's why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's why they started to collect information from autopilot-capable cars about situations where the car thinks it should continue as it did but the driver was applying steering I guess?

  6. The point of turn signals by OzPeter · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The point of turn signals is not to engage when the turn is in progress, but to indicate the intent of a turn. Doing it when the drive is pulling on the wheel to make the turn will go against the road rules of many locales.

    Unless of course Tesla has developed a telepathic module for their cars. In which case I take back what I said.

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    1. Re:The point of turn signals by Nkwe · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The point of turn signals is not to engage when the turn is in progress, but to indicate the intent of a turn. Doing it when the drive is pulling on the wheel to make the turn will go against the road rules of many locales.

      In the addition, turn signals are supposed to be used whether *or not* there are other cars around. Technically some jurisdictions don't require signaling if there are no other vehicles around, but good driving practices suggest always signaling because 1) you might be wrong about no other vehicles being around (and if you haven't seen the other vehicle that is actually there, your signaling might just give the other driver enough warning that you are about to encroach on their space), and 2) always signaling builds a good habit and reduces one piece of driving cognitive load. If your brain isn't thinking about "do I have to single at this time" it has more cycles to think about other driving safety related issues.

    2. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I leave my turn signals on, never know when I'm gonna turn turn turn

    3. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's an indicator, not a confirmator.

      The aim is to *indicate* what you *plan* to do so that I can plan accordingly, not *confirm* the observable facts of what you *are* doing while I'm busy taking last-minute evasive action because I had made the entirely reasonable assumption, in the absence of data to the contrary, that you were going straight ahead.

    4. Re:The point of turn signals by djinn6 · · Score: 1

      I'd go even further and say signaling is especially important when you think there are no other cars around. Chances are, they're hiding in your blind spot.

    5. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also: just because you're turning the wheel does not mean that you need to indicate, and vice-versa.

      Take changing lanes on a curve in the road: staying in the lane involves turning slightly, overtaking involves *not* turning until you've changed lanes. Road rules say indicate when overtaking, but based on steering you would end up indicating if not overtaking, and not indicating when overtaking until you've finished the lane change and need to steer to continue with the natural curve of the road.

    6. Re:The point of turn signals by Misagon · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Turn signals are not interpreted only by other motorists on the road but also by pedestrians.
      This is very useful on parking lots, for instance.

      --
      "We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
    7. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Haven't you heard of GPS? It can plot a course, and then the car magically knows (telepathic?) where it would need to turn. And then can also appropriately turn the signal on at the correct distance while approaching a given turn.

    8. Re:The point of turn signals by Jzanu · · Score: 2

      That sounds great, until you realize GPS replies on road mapping from often extremely out of date and error-filled databases that actually don't work anywhere near 100% of the time. Roads that don't exist and instead lead off cliffs or into ravines, or into desert areas with no garage nearby when car dies on a 1000 mile detour keyed in as a "shortcut". Mapping is well and truly far behind what people imagine, and that fuels their fantasies and the discrepancy with reality when it comes to technology and interacting with the physical world. It is better for drivers to be forced into focused awareness and manual control of their road activities including signaling. This is for the safety of not just other drivers and pedestrians but for their own safety as well.

    9. Re:The point of turn signals by mikael · · Score: 1

      That drives me nuts when trying to cross the road as a pedestrian. Some drivers just don't bother indicating whether they are going straight on or turning left when they pass an intersection. So they make the turn without indicating.

      --
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    10. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe it will pick up on the same thing I've been noticing around here. Morons seem to telegraph their lane changes and turns by first swerving in the opposite direction. I am sure these cannot all be off duty commercial drivers who forget they aren't pulling a trailer, so I don't know where the bizarre impulse comes from.

    11. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Chalk it up to heightened awareness while commuting on a regular basis via motorcycle, but there are a number of tells people make before they change lanes.

    12. Re:The point of turn signals by somenickname · · Score: 1

      Unless of course Tesla has developed a telepathic module for their cars. In which case I take back what I said.

      I haven't read the patent but telepathy probably isn't necessary. Humans leave a lot of subconscious clues about their intents and, if you have the right sensors, in many cases, you can detect what they are about to do before they have consciously decided to do it. My favorite example of this is FMCW Lidar and pedestrians at a crosswalk. You can literally see subtle doppler shifts in how they are distributing their weight well before they've taken a step and probably before they've even consciously decided that it's time to take a step.

      I need to read the patent but, it wouldn't surprise me if seat and steering wheels sensors could provide enough information.

    13. Re:The point of turn signals by rnturn · · Score: 1

      Remember the black woman who was killed when leaving a Texas college campus after a job interview? Pulled over for not signaling a lane change even though there was nobody around except the cop driving a block behind her.

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      CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
    14. Re:The point of turn signals by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      According to my local rules of the road, if you want to take a freeway exit, you have to start signalling 1000 ft before the exit. What kind of unconscious action would you expect to be able to pick up at that distance ?

    15. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is an excellent point. Also the consequences of wrongly engaging the turn signal when I am merely slowing down slightly to read a road sign or whatever could be especially fatal to a pedestrian waiting to cross the street.

    16. Re:The point of turn signals by q_e_t · · Score: 1

      Or a turn signal in the wrong direction. Especially in the UK on roundabouts.

    17. Re:The point of turn signals by q_e_t · · Score: 1

      Often, though, a pedestrian thinks they have indicated their intention, or is at a location where the driver should yield. Or should they take a series of large cards for each potential action and hold them out from the side of the road, in a recreation of some Bob Dylan video?

    18. Re:The point of turn signals by q_e_t · · Score: 1

      How does pulling over kill you?

    19. Re:The point of turn signals by q_e_t · · Score: 1

      Once my GPS directed me down a road. It was narrow, but I assumed the GPS knew what it was doing until I reached the farmyard with no other exit than the way I'd come in. I was close to my destination, but I don't think the farmer would have appreciated me driving through his barn and over a field to get there. Nor is my card the best off-roader.

    20. Re:The point of turn signals by q_e_t · · Score: 1

      The best I can suggest is that if you make a particular trip often (e.g. your commute) it could assume that you are going to do it. But ideally you'd want it to say "Dave, I suggest you signal turning off the highway now".

      Even with GPS I would not suggest it automatically going as far as signalling. Sometimes there is only part of a journey I need the GPS for, but it will be on for all of it as I don't want to stop part way to turn it on. But, say, returning home I might decide to stop at the grocery store on the way, and the GPS isn't going to know I am going to do that, so won't select a turn off for me I need to indicate, unless it's also talking to my fridge, the state of the cat's litter box, and a whole host of other systems.

    21. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pair that with a racist cop with an itchy trigger fingers and deficient communication skills.

    22. Re:The point of turn signals by religionofpeas · · Score: 1

      The problem with these kinds of automatic things is that I want to work flawlessly, or I'd rather do it all myself. Having to turn off automatic signalling lights that come on at the wrong moment is much more annoying than having to turn them on at the right times.

      Voice reminders at the wrong time are also annoying and distracting.

    23. Re: The point of turn signals by mapkinase · · Score: 1

      How about using informatiom from navigation software?

      How difficult is to connect green wire from Waze to the white wire of the turning light?

      At first I though they are going to patent that ine which would be also ridiculous

      --
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    24. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Death by cop.

    25. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Arent pedestrians only supposed to cross if they are not going to impede traffic?

    26. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The best is at a T intersection where the car can't go straight and must be turning. But doesn't signal, leaving it a mystery right up until you step into the road and the driver abruptly turns toward you.

    27. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      First I think we need to fix all the broken blinkers.
      It's a wide-spread problem in Texas. Lots of new SUV's making turns and wandering between lanes without a blinker in site.

      Please, won't someone think of the blinkers?

    28. Re:The point of turn signals by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      It's funny how naive people will be just because the want the Jetsons future so badly. I saw a huge discrepancy with google maps just last week, it had me turn 3 streets too earlier to get to my destination, which is only accessible from one street, being a dead end with no side streets.

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    29. Re:The point of turn signals by Comrade+Ogilvy · · Score: 1

      It varies by state law and details. It is unwise and perhaps impolite to impede traffic. But under certain conditions in, say, CA, the pedestrians have the right of way and the cars are required to immediately stop.

    30. Re:The point of turn signals by Comrade+Ogilvy · · Score: 1

      I like how you think.

    31. Re:The point of turn signals by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      She died in the jail after being arrested for the infraction.

  7. Oh the agony by darthsilun · · Score: 1

    the agony that is lifting their finger and moving it up or down by several inches.

    Several inches? Is that what it takes on a Tesla? On all my cars, and my parents cars, going back nearly forty years of driving, the turn signal only takes (or took) a half and inch or so – up or down – to activate.
    OTOH, getting drivers – Tesla or otherwise – to put down their phone or coffee to signal a turn probably is asking a lot.
    In other news I predict a fresh rash of accidents as people pull out in front of a Tesla that has its turn signal on.

    1. Re:Oh the agony by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      Maybe Tesla moved the turn signal control to the touch screen just like all the other controls in the Model 3...

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  8. Over engineering. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    . . . it then works to sense if there are other vehicles nearby and if it detects them, it puts the signal on for the driver.

    Just turn on the signal if the car is turning. Why waste the effort of sensing whether it is necessary. That just adds complexity and potential for failure.

    Is this a typical example of Tesla thinking?

    1. Re:Over engineering. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just turn on the signal if the car is turning.

      Srsly? Wait 'til you're actually turning to turn on the turn signal?
      If that's how you drive then you're one of the thousands of assholes out there that I hate.
      Next time you get a ticket, take the Driving School option and have them replace the license you got from the Cracker Jack box with a real license.

    2. Re:Over engineering. by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

      So if the highway or road has a bend in it, your signal will pop on and indicate to those around you that you wish to change lanes. Wonderful!

      --
      Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
    3. Re:Over engineering. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Think roundabouts (or whatever you call them in whichever country you reside). You are required to indicate according to the direction in which you intend to leave the roundabout (or not at all if you're going straight ahead). This could be literally the reverse of the direction you turn upon entering the roundabout, which would be a major source of confusion for other drivers trying to figure out whether or not they could safely enter the roundabout or not.

    4. Re:Over engineering. by q_e_t · · Score: 1

      Indeed, you could be indicating to turn left (come off the roundabout in the UK) while still turning right around it, as you are supposed to initiate the signal to turn off immediately on passing the previous exit. On some roundabouts that are large but have relatively few exits, that could be 20 seconds before you actually turn off, depending on the level of traffic. In London, it could be closer to 20 minutes before.

  9. Patents are broken by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let's patent an automatic shoe that predicts when I walk and walks for me.

  10. Why? by burtosis · · Score: 1

    The way that Tesla envisions it working is that the car detects the driver's intent to change lanes or make a turn by using the Autopilot hardware at its disposal, it then works to sense if there are other vehicles nearby and if it detects them, it puts the signal on for the driver.

    Except the law requires you to signal when turning even if no other cars are nearby in many states. Similarly for lane changes. This needs to be done ahead of time, say 100 feet for example. So it would have to be fairly floolproof or it could wind up backfiring if it failed and tickets were issued or an accident happened. Sometimes when a company files patents like this it is simply and attempt to create a wall of IP such that others find it difficult to compete or sometimes it's simply to pad a portfolio even if it's not used. I'm personally not able to see how this would be useful as part of a manually plioted car.

  11. GPS? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Presumably if the car knows where my destination is and the route I intend to take, it can use the turn signals appropriately without my input - no sophisticated body-language-reading AI required.

  12. Full self driving capability by the end of 2017 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    During his TED talk in 2017, he claimed a Telsa could drive itself from California to NY without touching any controls.

    Funding secured. Investor support confirmed.

    How long will people continue to believe this guy? Everything he says should be talk with a metric ton of salt. Maybe his vision will happen, some day, far in the future, or maybe it will never happen. But you will be very disappointed if you bank on any of his time lines.

  13. Actions hard to interpret by OFnow · · Score: 1

    Decent drivers give a fairly early indication of a turn with small movements of the steering wheel (invisible from outside the car), but plenty of not-so-good drivers will turn the steering wheel left before starting the intended right turn. And you wait till it's clear you have turned to turn on the turn signal that's maybe avoiding a ticket with no improvement in safety. Unless this is really meant for slow city traffic and pedestrians in which case...ok...maybe.

  14. A better idea would be... by DulcetTone · · Score: 1

    Have autopilot execute the turn, but only after the turn signal has been activated (by the driver) an appropriate amount of time.

    That is, make it so that the cars make turns that have been properly signalled.

    It reduces driver workload and enforces safe driving habits.

    --
    tone
    1. Re:A better idea would be... by EnsilZah · · Score: 1

      That is a feature that Autopilot already has.

    2. Re:A better idea would be... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree with the parent that the better idea is to set up user experience patterns based on signalling first, not during the turn/change, and not normally optional. The linked feature appeared to be for autopilot executed lane changes only, and not for turns.
      Just like driver lane assists today, a lane change or turn should be resisted by the car unless the driver manually activated the turn signal in advance by some suitable amount of time. You could over-power the resistance in an emergency maneuver.

  15. seems unsafe! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    seems unsafe!

  16. Don't worry about it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...Asians will still find a way to turn those off

  17. Hm by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

    Interesting that they could get.a patent for this. So all other automated cars for ever more will have an excuse not to signal, because Tesla owns the patent?

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:Hm by q_e_t · · Score: 1

      It will be for a specific implementation, I expect.

    2. Re:Hm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, they have a patent for signalling based on what the software thinks the driver is doing. This isn't needed at all for autonomous cars.

      Further, other manufacturers can have the same feature, they will just have to implement it differently.

      But if you ask me, this is a dangerous feature and shouldn't be implemented in any cars. Drivers should be indicating well ahead of time, and by the time the software picks up the intent with high enough confidence to activate the indicator, other drivers on the road should also have worked out the car is turning or changing lanes.

  18. Snark misses at least one important point by fyngyrz · · Score: 2

    From TFS:

    Tesla wants its vehicles to signal automatically without the driver needing to go through the agony that is lifting their finger and moving it up or down by several inches.

    Here's the thing. A very large number of drivers out there are too... something... to signal when they're going to be making a turn. Lazy, stupid, incompetent, rude, selfish, clueless... pick your adjective. Or all of them. So this is a very good thing, in that the rest of us will get more warning that memaw or peepaw is about to disrupt the traffic flow.

    --
    I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
    1. Re: Snark misses at least one important point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I missed nothing, but your idiot karma whore attempt is obvious and bad.

      You are an autistic moron and need to report immediately for your swirly

    2. Re:Snark misses at least one important point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that Google have completely misunderstood the purpose of the turn signal.

      First, it's something you do when you *intend* to turn, not when a computer detects that you intend to turn from the fact you've already started braking and turning. I don't need a turn signal at that point. Putting your signal on as you execute a manoeuvre is no better than not putting it on at all.

      Second, it's something you do for other road users, including pedestrians, not just for other vehicles.

    3. Re:Snark misses at least one important point by shaitand · · Score: 1

      I guess. It's a nice bonus if someone signals but proper defensive driving generally means not assuming something like a turn signal meaning someone is going to turn. If you always assume the other drivers might do the worst thing and have a backup if they do you will avoid accidents.

    4. Re:Snark misses at least one important point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If a computer could figure out their intent, and activate their turn signal, why even bother with turn signals at all. Let my car's computer figure out their intent and show an arrow on my heads up display. We could also get rid of the car's horn in a similar way. Have my phone's computer figure out both the driver's intent, as well as my intent as a pedestrian, and have it play a special ring tone when I am in the car's way, or about to get hit by the car.

    5. Re:Snark misses at least one important point by shplopt · · Score: 1

      I'd rather see no signal than an incorrect one. A turn signal communicates intent. It gives some level of assurance that a driver is paying attention and intends to turn or change lanes, and one makes split second decisions based on these assumptions. I'd rather remain cautious than have the illusion of certainty.

  19. BMW and Honda needs to licence this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Their drivers rarely indicate!

    1. Re:BMW and Honda needs to licence this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you drive an Audi, then they don't even bother checking the indicators of your car at vehicle inspections as they will never get used.

    2. Re:BMW and Honda needs to licence this! by Comrade+Ogilvy · · Score: 1

      If you drive a SAAB or older Jaguar, the wiring is such crap that it does not matter if you try to use the indicator light.

  20. I've got a better idea by erp_consultant · · Score: 2

    How about a patent to automatically turn OFF the turn signal that has been left on for the past 5 miles...and the car is still in the same lane? You know the type of driver I'm talking about. The one in the left lane, 10 MPH below the speed limit, driving the late 90s or early 00s Cadillac. Yeah...the one with the tuft of blue hair just barely above the dashboard. On the way to the bingo or shuffle board tournament.

    Yes, the dreaded Snow Bird. The only thing worse than no signal is the perpetual signal. You have no idea what their true intention is. All you know is that you need to get the heck away from them. NOW.

    1. Re:I've got a better idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Umm, cadillacs like most lux cars chime if the turn signal is left on while moving.

    2. Re:I've got a better idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All cars by law are required to give both audio and visual indications that the indicator is on.

      I am very familiar with what parent is referring to. Somehow a lot of people seem both blind and deaf to the constant blinking, beeping and clicking that goes on for several miles until their vehicle hits a slow turn and the indicator finally shuts off by itself. My personal record observation so far has a particularly stubborn driver leaving their indicator on for over 20 minutes.

      A system that would shut off the turn signal automatically when travelling straight for extended periods would be great and considerably easier to implement than trying to predict the intent of drivers.

    3. Re:I've got a better idea by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Man, you've got issues. Ranting in public about this isn't healthy.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    4. Re: I've got a better idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some drivers ARE both blind and deaf, you insensitive clod!

    5. Re:I've got a better idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How about a patent to automatically turn OFF the turn signal that has been left on for the past 5 miles...and the car is still in the same lane? You know the type of driver I'm talking about. The one in the left lane, 10 MPH below the speed limit, driving the late 90s or early 00s Cadillac. Yeah...the one with the tuft of blue hair just barely above the dashboard. On the way to the bingo or shuffle board tournament.

      Yes, the dreaded Snow Bird. The only thing worse than no signal is the perpetual signal. You have no idea what their true intention is. All you know is that you need to get the heck away from them. NOW.

      As described, this is a very useful signal - a 'keep well clear' sign.

    6. Re:I've got a better idea by bozzy · · Score: 1

      My '91 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme automatically beeped at you when you left the turn signal on too long. Between that and the huge digital speedometer it was clear this car was designed for the market you're talking about.

      --
      playmoney.me - The free alternative to paper board game play money
    7. Re:I've got a better idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The signal perpetually still on is indeed a warning to other drivers, having the car leave it on is thus a benefit to others.

  21. Seems silly, but... by enigma32 · · Score: 1

    While this seems a little silly on the surface,
    I've noticed since moving to LA that almost nobody uses their turning signals here. It's gotten much worse over the past 7 years.

    I'll take any additional help that the car can give these idiots, but I'm concerned that common adoption of features like this will make people even less likely to signal in advance of doing something stupid.

    1. Re:Seems silly, but... by misnohmer · · Score: 1

      What you need is an Augmented Reality app that will superimpose turn signals on any cars it perceives as turning? Maybe some AI that will even watch for the drivers eyeing their blind spot before turning? Way more likely to work than hoping everyone in LA starts driving a Tesla.

  22. Patent ? - but free for all by spinitch · · Score: 1

    Not sure if patentable but if so Tesla should make available for free to others. Volvo first to widely deploy cross chest seat belt but did not patent and allowed others to use since safety in the interests of advancement of automobiles adoption. A shared safety pact should be adopted by the industry for such features as they are for others.

  23. If (surname is Irish) AND (bar ahead) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AND (time > noon somewhere)
    Then
    Signal a turn into the bar, and begin turn execution

  24. Not so impressive, BUT .... by King_TJ · · Score: 1

    I think I'd like a feature like this if it at least FORCES the signals to come on as someone is starting to turn, in case they were otherwise going to skip using them at all.

    As others said, half of the purpose of a turn signal is to indicate you'd like to turn ... hoping other drivers will cut you some slack and open up a space for you to begin doing it. Automatic signals will be totally useless for this.

    So you wouldn't want to get rid of the signal lever here, IMO. But you might want the automatic functionality to kick in when you fail to use it manually.

  25. Some people don't even do that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is better than nothing. Smart people will still signal manually, this is just for idiots.

    1. Re:Some people don't even do that by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean for the Tesla drivers.

  26. There is no "important point" here by Mr.+Dollar+Ton · · Score: 2

    This is the usual pseudo-futuristic mumbo-jumbo from Tesla they sprout out to change the subject when they are about to miss a financial or a production goal. It used to work, but these days even the rabidly pro-Tesla media are starting to stay away from peddling these musk nuggets, and fewer and fewer people fall for them.

    Remember how Tesla announced a few weeks ago how their "security" was second to none and how they would be graciously gifting it to the rest of the automobile world to save it from mistakes? Remember how it happened just before they announced there is no funding and there'll be no buyout?

    Remember how we later learned that their software is a hopeless half-maintained hodge-podge of spaghetti code and how their security is worse than the security you typically find in an FX trading startup? Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Enoug... Only yesterday we received a confirmation - Tesla's "network" melted down precisely in the manner the link above describes it can.

    Did we see an article on Slashdot about the Tesla IT problems (a legitimate "nerd news" topic)? Nope. Did we read the news about Tesla's network meltdown? Nope, although in the past much smaller problems with a single company network have been covered regularly.

    This announcement is all smoke and mirrors, and it is being spread about to try to build "a positive momentum" ahead of the Tesla troubles that are stacking up for the next few weeks - missing profitability targets, disappearing demand, supplier issues and customer service issues.

    Musk may have his left turn signal on, but he's really braking.

    1. Re:There is no "important point" here by Ksevio · · Score: 2

      Except all of that is nonsense since there was no announcement here, this was a CNET article about a patent that was filed that Tesla didn't comment on.

    2. Re:There is no "important point" here by Comrade+Ogilvy · · Score: 1

      This is the usual pseudo-futuristic mumbo-jumbo from Tesla they sprout out to change the subject when they are about to miss a financial or a production goal.

      Your criticisms of Tesla are perhaps correct (I do not know), but they are irrelevant here. Here we are just making fun of Tesla because we think it is fun to mock this patent. It does not really have anything to do with anything important about Tesla. It is a potentially bonding moment for the bros who both like and dislike Tesla. Get with it, dude.

      Unless you show me the citation where Tesla is publicly proclaiming this patent as some awe-inspiring reason for higher company valuation, I think that the usual business practice of filing many patents (some of which inevitably turn out to be garbage) is a weak reason to indulge in a chicken little rant.

  27. Probably just auto-indicating off map route by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Map says turn right in 100 yards, indicator comes on...

  28. Pedestrians? Cyclists? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    These other road users and road crossers also depend on knowing driver _intent_.

  29. Prior Art? by dknj · · Score: 1

    Some racing video games had this feature where when you changed lanes, the car would start to signal in that direction. There is a game on the Google Play store right now that does this.

    Or is prior art negated because it is virtual and doesn't send the actual CANBUS command to trigger the turn signal?

    P A T E N T S

    -dk

    1. Re:Prior Art? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably that game and the real-world car use different implementation methods? Implementation methods being what patents protect.
      One can'^Wshould not be able to patent an idea.

      Also, in the real world, the signaling should come before the changing of lanes, surely?

    2. Re:Prior Art? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can't patent ideas. You need to patent the implementation. There is probably something unique to how Tesla are going about it. Though given the crap that gets patented these days there is no guarantee of that.

    3. Re:Prior Art? by Dragonslicer · · Score: 1

      Some racing video games had this feature where when you changed lanes, the car would start to signal in that direction. There is a game on the Google Play store right now that does this.

      Or is prior art negated because it is virtual and doesn't send the actual CANBUS command to trigger the turn signal?

      It's only prior art if it covers every element of the claim. If the video game just did "player turns steering wheel -> turn on signal", then it would only be prior art if that's all that's in a claim in Tesla's patent application. I looked at the patent application very briefly, and Claim 1 requires four different data sources, two of which are used to determine if there's another vehicle nearby.

  30. Recurring Trips by Tim12s · · Score: 1

    I'm sure they will use recurring trips / timing to calculate likely destination.

    Home -> School
    School -> Work
    Work -> Shop | Work -> Home
    [Shop -> Home]

  31. Mass confusion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There will be massive confusion in Texas and Florida where they won't know what those little flashing lights towards the side of the cars mean. Wait, there already is massive confusion in Texas and Florida in general already. So I guess my point is moot.

  32. Please! by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    Donate a license to use this tech to BMW users.
    They need it bad!

  33. Re:Traitor Trump Patents Protecting Poopers in Pri by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That brought tears to my eyes... ~sniff~ Bravo!

  34. Driver monitoring systems by DrXym · · Score: 1
    " If it works, it will be brilliant but given the fact that Tesla has remained adamant that it doesn't need driver monitoring systems for Autopilot,"

    Anyone who thinks Tesla cars are capable of self driving is drinking too much kool aid. The car can manage itself in some limited scenarios but even there it requires an attentive driver to hit the brakes or overrule the car if it does something dangerous. As such it should be a legal requirement that every semi-autonomous vehicles MUST enforce driver attention. i.e. they must monitor the driver in some way. For example, requiring them to hold the wheel or perform certain tasks, but more sophisticated monitoring is possible.

  35. Conquering one first world problem at a time! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or not, since most of their shit doesn't actually work. Why do we need this? If Tesla hasn't filed for chapter 11 in ten years, we will know for sure we have seriously lost the plot.

  36. AGONY by Daralantan · · Score: 1

    signal automatically without the driver needing to go through the agony that is lifting their finger and moving it up or down by several inches

    Oh! So THAT'S why no one ever signals. Didn't realize it was causing them such torment.

  37. what else do you predict? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do you regularly predict the present or past?

  38. S M O G by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Signal
    Mirror
    Over the shoulder
    Go

    Driver Ed in California - might even be in the published handbook

  39. Patent an automated ticket system by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Another solution to this: Patent an automated ticketing solution. When a driver fails to signal and the car detects it has changed lanes, a ticket will be automatically written against the driver and they'll have to pay the fine. I'd bet you people will learn REAL quick to use their turn signals!

    (That way, you don't have to mind read / try using GPS and have failures when a driver does something different.)

  40. nice post by puja+tanwer · · Score: 1

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