# Google testing cars that can drive themselves **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 11, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814 "2010-10-11T18:42:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/1 "2010-10-11T18:42:49Z")
> **[Google is testing cars that drive themselves - CNN.com](https://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/10/11/google.testing.cars.mashable/index.html)** > > Google announced Sunday that it has developed cars that drive themselves automatically in traffic, and that it has been testing them on the streets of California for months. It might seem like an unusual project for Google, but it could actually have... > [@](#): > > Google announced Sunday that it has developed cars that drive themselves automatically in traffic, and that it has been testing them on the streets of California for months. It might seem like an unusual project for Google, but it could actually have big benefits. > > We’re not just talking about cars running Google Android. This is the stuff of science fiction. The only accident that has occurred so far: One of the cars was rear-ended by a driver at a stop light. Human error! > > The vehicles have been tested on 140,000 miles of California road, from Silicon Valley to Santa Monica. I am so thrilled I can’t wait. Well, I have to - the article says it’ll be about 8 years before this goes to market. But seriously, this is wonderful news, especially for those long highway hauls in rural areas. What do y’all think? Would you want a car that can drive itself? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/2 "2010-10-11T18:45:52Z")
I have wanted one ever since I read about the possibility in my Children’s Encyclopedia entry on the Future over 20 years ago. Google is doing the innovative stuff the rest of us just don’t have _time_ to do. They’ll take over the world and we will love them for it. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/3 "2010-10-11T18:46:21Z")
Robot designated driver, FTW! ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/4 "2010-10-11T18:57:40Z")
It’s not so much that I’d want to have a car that can drive itself as it would be that everyone around me would want me to have one. I’m not a very good driver. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/5 "2010-10-11T19:02:23Z")
Oh, heyull yayuss. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/6 "2010-10-11T20:35:02Z")
As part of my job I am very peripherally involved with this sort of project. (I don’t work for Google, so don’t ask. I work for a company that sometimes works with car manufacturers on advanced projects such as this one.) Many in the industry think this sort of thing is definitely coming in the future. There is a convergence of computing technology, sensor accuracy, and mapping attribution and detailing that is making this possible. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/7 "2010-10-11T20:52:49Z")
It seems that the current GPS technology would be making this very feasible. There are just so many benefits, from accident and traffic jam prevention, removing irresponsible/aggressive driving, fuel savings, time savings, less cops/courts/lawyers needed, etc. I hope the car makers are seeing the writing on the wall. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/8 "2010-10-11T21:13:16Z")
Can these things tell the difference between a human lying in the street, and a pile of clothes? A cardboard box vs a giant hunk of metal? Can they tell black ice from water? Can they drive on poorly marked roads, gravel roads, snow-covered roads? I have a hard time believing a computer has the pattern-recognition capabilities, and the intelligence to deal with al the different sorts of events and conditions that come up when driving. If you have to have a human watch over it in case something unusual comes up, then it’s useless. In fact, it’s worse than useless because people will become complacent and not pay attention. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/9 "2010-10-11T21:16:34Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > Can these things tell the difference between a human lying in the street, and a pile of clothes? A cardboard box vs a giant hunk of metal? Can they tell black ice from water? Wouldn’t you avoid these things the same anyway? Are you _supposed_ to hit a pile of clothes, you’re not allowed to swerve around it? ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/10 "2010-10-11T21:20:07Z")
Another drawback mentioned elsewhere online…bombs. Now you don’t even have to have a suicide bomber, just program the car. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/11 "2010-10-11T21:26:42Z")
I wonder about the insurance issues involved. If a person isn’t driving, who is at fault when there is some kind of accident…the software designers? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/12 "2010-10-11T21:29:04Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I wonder about the insurance issues involved. If a person isn’t driving, who is at fault when there is some kind of accident…the software designers? This was raised in one of the articles I read about this. Basically…they don’t know yet. We’re hitting the point where technology is running faster than the law can keep up. Right now these cars are street legal because there’s someone behind the wheel to take it if things go awry, but since the goal is to eliminate the driver… ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/13 "2010-10-11T22:58:59Z")
> [@](#): > > The vehicles have been tested on 140,000 miles of California road, from Silicon Valley to Santa Monica. Just what we need, a bunch of cars that drive like Californians, We might as well save some money and stop repairing everything but the left lane, because that is all that will be used. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/14 "2010-10-11T23:01:32Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I am so thrilled I can’t wait. Well, I have to - the article says it’ll be about 8 years before this goes to market. They should hit the market about the time the gas runs out … . ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/15 "2010-10-12T00:12:16Z")
Car Bombs that drive themselves… ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/16 "2010-10-12T00:28:43Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > What do y’all think? Would you want a car that can drive itself? Yes. And eliminate all human drivers. Fewer accidents. Less traffic. Greater efficiency all around. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/17 "2010-10-12T00:44:11Z")
> [@NetTrekker](#): > > It seems that the current GPS technology would be making this very feasible. There are just so many benefits, from accident and traffic jam prevention, removing irresponsible/aggressive driving, fuel savings, time savings, less cops/courts/lawyers needed, etc. I hope the car makers are seeing the writing on the wall. Car makers are not only seeing the writing on the wall, they are interested in developing this technology. Anything to keep their industry relevant in the future. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/18 "2010-10-12T01:09:57Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > Car Bombs that drive themselves… Well airplanes have had autopilots for years. IIRC there are even automatic takeoff and landing systems available. They still have pilots even though I would be willing to bet they could be flown remotely just like predator drones. Cars was just a matter of time. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/19 "2010-10-12T02:00:25Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > Can these things tell the difference between a human lying in the street, and a pile of clothes? A cardboard box vs a giant hunk of metal? Can they tell black ice from water? Can they drive on poorly marked roads, gravel roads, snow-covered roads? I have a hard time believing a computer has the pattern-recognition capabilities, and the intelligence to deal with al the different sorts of events and conditions that come up when driving. If you have to have a human watch over it in case something unusual comes up, then it’s useless. In fact, it’s worse than useless because people will become complacent and not pay attention. This is all piddling stuff. Sure there will be marginal conditions where the computers won’t be able to make the call as to what it is seeing or where to go or what to do. Simple: design it so it fails safe ie it stops. Then you as the human decide what to do next. Even if this means you have to drive the car yourself some miniscule part of the time, so what? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814/20 "2010-10-13T19:55:00Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > > [@JohnT](#): > > > > What do y’all think? Would you want a car that can drive itself? > > Yes. And eliminate all human drivers. Fewer accidents. Less traffic. Greater efficiency all around. and we could talk on our cell phones! Imagine how nice this could be for truck drivers or traveling by RV, the vast majority of the time you would basically just be along for the ride, [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-testing-cars-that-can-drive-themselves/556814.md?page=2)