[JoMar]

This is just another step in the evolution.....not a final product. That's why there is a driver. Like very advance there will be failures, disasters and advances. Remember the airplane, the first cars, the space stuff. All had shortcomings and dangers, this is no different in my view. By the time it becomes common I suspect most of us won't be here to see it......or at least remember what the heck it is....

[Villagevip]

Will the driverless taxi expect a tip?

[Nucky]

I can't wait to hear some of the ideas that come out on this thread. It should be a Doozy. I love gadgetry but I am fundamentally, technologically, challenged. I was a partner in a Taxi business in Jersey and understand why Lyft and Uber have not taken off here but I'm not in the game anymore.

I hope these people score big time and the concept takes off, however, having nobody at the wheel is going to a tough sell.

[twoplanekid]

Interesting discussion on self-driving cars today - Our CES 2018 autonomous car panel will invite representatives from Ford, Intel and the National Conference of State Legislatures to the CNET Stage.

to view click on the link and (Watch again) then advance to 6:10:15 Watch our CES 2018 autonomous car panel: Getting From Here to There - Roadshow

[Francie]

This technology is real and is coming not only to TV, but is being heavily tested by the trucking industry for Over the Road transportation. Think of the cost reductions for that industry. It IS coming. Think of your own situation and evaluate the true need of actually having to own a car; especially for year-round residents. Think of the HUGE cost savings of not having to own and maintain a car. While this isn't an option for everyone, it is something to think about. Most of our cars sit idle 90% of the time parked in our garage, at the store, at the doctor. You could summon a car only when you need it! This is going to have enormous implications for auto manufacturers, etc. The next 5 years is going to be fascinating.

[Rapscallion St Croix]

Originally Posted by Villagevip

Will the driverless taxi expect a tip?

Or talk incessantly about politics, traffic, or the weather?

[ukbill70]

If I go to the bar and have a couple too many adult beverages and decide to leave my car / Golf Cart there and get a taxi home and that driverless car gets involved in an accident could I as the sole occupant get a DUI ??

[Two Bills]

Originally Posted by Francie

This technology is real and is coming not only to TV, but is being heavily tested by the trucking industry for Over the Road transportation. Think of the cost reductions for that industry. It IS coming. Think of your own situation and evaluate the true need of actually having to own a car; especially for year-round residents. Think of the HUGE cost savings of not having to own and maintain a car. While this isn't an option for everyone, it is something to think about. Most of our cars sit idle 90% of the time parked in our garage, at the store, at the doctor. You could summon a car only when you need it! This is going to have enormous implications for auto manufacturers, etc. The next 5 years is going to be fascinating.

Think of all the people who will lose their jobs!

[Madelaine Amee]

Personally, I would have thought this was the WRONG place to try out a driverless car. Old people, who this car is aimed at, are very stuck in their ways and I think it will take a long while to get an old person in a driverless car. I would think it would do better at an airport or city travel.

[Francie]

Two Bills - I understand. Don't shoot the messenger. They said the same thing when cars were invented. Think of all the industry surrounding the horse and buggy back in the day. It didn't stop new inventions, technologies and newly created jobs.

[NJblue]

While initially there will be a back-up driver, eventually this will be "Level 4" autonomy, meaning that there will be no driver. Therefore, ultimately there will be a cost savings.

On top of that, once the technology is beyond concept stage, it will likely be much safer to drive in an autonomous car than a human-driven one. The car's computers will be able to react within milliseconds to an emergency event rather than the significantly slower response time of a human. They will know at all times what the conditions around them are so they know whether the proper evasive response is to swerve around an incident or apply emergency braking. Its computers will obey all traffic laws, never feel drowsy from a full day of working or a hard night of partying the previous night, will never be impacted by alcohol or drugs and won't be distracted by an attractive girl walking on the sidewalk.

That being said, this may never work in a large city like NYC since the computers will be too polite to barge into traffic and hence will take forever to get anywhere.

[perrjojo]

Originally Posted by Two Bills

Think of all the people who will lose their jobs!

Think of all the people who will get jobs developing the technology, building, selling and servicing the new cars. The jobs will just be different.

[villagetinker]

The article stated there would be a LIMITED service area, in the vicinity of LSL, it did not stated how far out from there. The maps for a the rapidly expanding villages are months out of date, so I do not expect this to be available anywhere south of 44. The article also stated there were going to be specialized vehicles going over the routes to make super accurate maps and not any areas of concern for safety. Once this is done the vehicles with standby drivers would take to the roads.
Having been here about 4.5 years, TV maybe an ideal location for testing, especially for the UNEXPECTED actions of some drivers, may of which have been documented in other threads on this site. The good point is that most speeds are slow enough that if there is an accident, the injuries should be minor(?).
I will be following this with great interest.

[simpkinp]

I, for one, and very excited about the whole concept. I am plied to be a volunteer or whatever for their new program. I think I would use it a lot. It’s a great thing, and technology improves our lives.

[Polar Bear]

I'm optimistic about its future, but I'm not sure I agree with those who say it's a good thing for the transportation impaired in TV. Those folks can still call a taxi, and then they have a person to help them a bit if needed. Of course if the fare for the driverless taxi is much lower, that is a big factor too. Both will probably still have a place.