Eventually there will be backups for these sensors and than backups for the backups.

We may not see it but it is coming and will be very common.

They are already better than "our reflexes". From Tessa's website for q4 2021:

"In the 4th quarter, we recorded one crash for every 4.31 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology (Autosteer and active safety features). For drivers who were not using Autopilot technology (no Autosteer and active safety features), we recorded one crash for every 1.59 million miles driven.

By comparison, NHTSA’s most recent data shows that in the United States there is an automobile crash every 484,000 miles."

So, in the case of Tesla (others are even better) Autopilot and automatic safety features result in 8 times fewer accidents than "regular" cars 4 million miles per accident vs 500,000 miles.

I canceled my Cybertruck when they postponed it even longer. I was willing two wait two years but longer than that, no thanks.

I drove the Tesla with the hands-free option and lasted about a minute before I took over. It's not easy to accept.

There is no "hands-free option". With Tesla's Autopilot, you are required to keep your hands on the wheel. If has a sensor to detect when you don't have your hands on the wheel and will disengage after some number of seconds.

I would think reflexes will take over and you put your hands on the wheel without even thinking about it.

Wheel? What wheel??
Envision the new artificial intelligence Human Automated Limousine 2500. Large gull wing doors welcome you to the stylish lounge with reclining chairs. In the center is a robot server that takes and delivers drinks and snacks while you travel in comfort and safety. As you settle in you will be held comfortable and secure in place by the beautiful, light and strong spider web safety harness. Your"driver/navigator" is equipped with a gentle masculine voice so "he" can respond verbally to answer any questions, comments or concerns you may have.
Now, here is your "driver" to welcome you aboard.

Hello, and welcome aboard. My name is HAL. I see you have ridden with me before. You weren't very nice to me on that trip. I wonder if there is any chance you will like, or survive, this one. BWAHAHAHA!!!

Personally would prefer a cute blond driver.navigator

I would like to see their operating results in a Florida downpour I originally wrote to begin this post.

Sorry! 😏

Can I get one for a slight upcharge?:icon_wink:

They turn control back over when they can't deal with the situation, which is one of the reasons the crash rate is so low. Then while the person is driving, the AI is watching, and will apply emergency crash protection measures if needed - another reason the crash rate is so much lower. And that is just with level 2 FSD. Once we reach full hands off self driving, there will be no controls for the riders to be bothered with. I can't wait.

I am certain that in 10 years I will n to be able to drive safely, maybe sooner. And I am happy to tell Siri where I want to go, and sit back and enjoy the ride.

Absolutely! An "appropriate" upcharge (just how "slight" are we talking?) can purchase anything you would like.

Reminds me of the movie "Airplane".

Ready to begin the negotiation but always let the other person say the amount first.

No doubt AI on the roads is a coming--and growing--thing, and I can see the positives, especially with drivers like people in TV, who may (make that certainly) be experiencing diminishing abilities in perception, peripheral vision, reaction time, judgment, etc. etc. But I would see it more as an insurance; something that can help the driver by replacing some of the abilities that he or she is losing, rather than as a replacement for the driver, even though that seems to be being envisioned for the future.

But there is a definite downside, one that a lot of people don't seem to be thinking about. I (just about all of us here, probably) grew up and learned to drive in an era where knowing how to check and change your own oil, check tire air routinely, how to control a car that before the advent of AWD (FWD was just coming onto the scene) and a non-limited-slip differential meant that having the rear of the car slew sideways in rainy or icy conditions was a real possibility, checking headlight alignment routinely, etc., were all things we learned, and more, early on. Many of us got to be pretty good with a wrench, screwdriver, socket set and timing light to the point where we could do a pretty competent tune-up in our own driveway when the Family Truckster started backfiring or just wasn't as peppy as it should be. Oh--and we could also do things like read a roadmap, use a compass, change a tire, drive a manual transmission, and many other things that have gone pretty much by the wayside.

Technology is a wonderful thing. But when we become totally dependent on it, what happens if suddenly it's not there any more?