# Self driving cars are still decades away **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499 "2017-10-10T17:38:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 147
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2928 "2025-11-24T14:10:16Z")
I do sleep through all that on a train, of course. That’s one of the reasons i liked taking the commuter rail to work. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2929 "2025-11-24T14:12:56Z")
Commuter rail is the best. Do I want to nap today? Get a little work done? Talk to my longtime co-rider/train friends? Read a book? All there for me. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2930 "2025-11-24T14:16:17Z")
This is a very good way of putting it. It’s not fair to expect them to operate in conditions where a train won’t operate (if there is such a thing) but we might be able to define it as self driving cars are truly self driving if they do operate when a train would but on all highways and streets even unpaved but not off road. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2931 "2025-11-24T14:48:13Z")
If it can drive through anything I’m willing to drive through, is call that plenty good. But i can drive through all the conditions @Maserschmidt described. I just don’t enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2932 "2025-11-24T15:07:18Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Or will you just buy a subscription to a car service that can take you wherever you want to go in _their_ self-driving cars? I feel like this is the model, once cars reach your definition of self driving. I’ve never owned a car that has had less than 90% idle time over any normal stretch. Maybe when I had a full hour commute each way, I could get close to breaking 90%. If your shared use model drops that idle time to 80% or 70%, you’ve cut the asset cost immensely. As long as the wait to get a ride is minimal, I’d much prefer a modest monthly subscription fee for 20,000 miles of transportation over personal ownership of a car. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2933 "2025-11-24T15:13:50Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I’d much prefer a modest monthly subscription fee for 20,000 miles of transportation over personal ownership of a car. I assume you mean yearly and I agree. This will be a major boon for the elderly or mobility impaired who are unable to drive on their own. Given that I’m 61, this should happen for getting around town by the time I get to that point. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2934 "2025-11-24T23:02:36Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > if they do operate when a train would but on all highways and streets even unpaved but not off road. I don’t think off-road is so much more difficult. Remember on the highway you routinely have people zooming by you a few feet away at very high speeds–and they can behave very unpredictably. You have this extremely rarely off-road. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2025, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2935 "2025-11-24T23:06:56Z")
True but they heavily rely on the lines painted on roads on the highway. I should have clarified but by off road, I didn’t mean a flat unpaved road, I meant rough terrain. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2025, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2936 "2025-11-25T00:15:55Z")
I was at an alumni gathering last Tuesday, and one of the attendees worked for Waymo. My wife and I were talking to him, and he mentioned that freeway driving was coming “pretty soon.” Two days later, they announced it. Two videos I saw today: Part 1: > **[Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/GuysBeingDudes/comments/1p5eoyo/81_years_olds_reaction_to_self_driving_car/)** Part 2: > **[81 year olds ride in self-driving car! Part 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrRHgfL0fsQ%2F)** > > It only got better as time went on! @patriotickenny ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2025, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2937 "2025-11-25T00:48:55Z")
They’ve already been doing very limited freeway driving for a couple of months. Just the city of San Francisco to and from the airport. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2025, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2938 "2025-11-25T02:12:20Z")
Worth dropping in here. > **[Driverless semi-trucks are on the road in North Texas](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/texas/news/driverless-semi-trucks-are-on-the-road-in-north-texas/)** > > For the first time, driverless semi-trucks with no one behind the wheel are on the road in North Texas. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2025, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2939 "2025-11-25T06:27:34Z")
On a much smaller scale, today I saw a [Door Dash Dot](https://youtu.be/FqyYo8Q6CSE) doing its job. Unlike the fantasy commercial this one had a guy on a bicycle in attendance with a tablet clamped to the handlebar. Cheaper than an automobile and can deliver more than a backpack, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2940 "2025-11-27T20:34:23Z")
FSD 14.2 has been widely released. This is the version that is going to everyone, not just those that have Advanced as a setting. It’s supposed to be much smoother. I’m uploading it now. All Tesla owners will get a free month of FSD including subscribers. 14.3 is now the version that will feel “sentient” according to Elan. The robotaxis will get 14.2 instead of waiting for 14.3. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2941 "2025-12-07T18:06:17Z")
FSD is currently available in the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and China. The EU is next. Getting it approved for the entire EU is effectively impossible so they are doing it one country at a time. The Netherlands will be first in February. French and German regulators have reportedly been impressed enough with the demos to move forward as well. > **[Tesla Outlines Plan to Launch FSD in Europe Starting February 2026](https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/3359/tesla-outlines-plan-to-launch-fsd-in-europe-starting-february-2026)** > > Tesla secures a path for FSD in Europe with a Feb 2026 approval target, using the Dutch RDW and EU exemptions to cut red tape. FSD 14.3 is, according to rumor, being tested now. Elon claims that you can safely text in certain situations with this version. Yeah, that’s nice Elmo. You can legally text in the US only in parts of Montana and in Missouri of you’re over 18. “But officer, Elon said it was ok” won’t get you out of a ticket. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2942 "2025-12-11T00:55:19Z")
Computer, activate the emergency medical holographic system. > **[Delivering more for our riders in a year of incredible growth](https://waymo.com/blog/2025/12/2025-year-in-review)** > > In 2025, people in cities across the country trusted Waymo for life’s precious moments – big and small – and to make their daily journeys smoother, simpler, and safer. Whether it’s commuting early in the morning, catching a flight, getting married,... At least two babies have been born in Waymos. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2943 "2025-12-11T01:02:35Z")
Ah, but how many have been _made_ in Waymos? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2944 "2025-12-17T21:13:56Z")
GM is giving up on robotaxis and full autonomy and shifting its focus to its Super Cruise highway ADAS. Not a surprise, it’s had all sorts of issues… [Is Tesla Close to Licensing FSD? GM Quits Cruise, BMW Praises Tesla](https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/2436/is-tesla-close-to-licensing-fsd-gm-quits-cruise-bmw-praises-tesla) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2945 "2025-12-17T21:34:50Z")
I’ve been ruminating on this a bit after a few long drives over the last few weeks. The times that my cat acted screwy were all (over this time) GPS issues. It occurs to me that that’s a distinction without a difference. FSD is as good as the information that it’s fed. Tesla only allows its GPS to be used which is only sensible. They clearly can’t allow Waze or anyone else in without extensive testing. Anyway, both prongs need to be near perfect. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2946 "2025-12-17T21:57:53Z")
“GPS” is really a poor term for this combo of knowing your lat/long and having a detailed current map of that area and performing long- and short-range navigation using those two together. Although a heck of a lot of people use “GPS” to mean the whole nav system, they really shouldn’t. Making the GPS segment work well to consistently deliver accurate lat/long and velocity is child’s play compared to having accurate up to the minute maps of everywhere at the relevant resolution to pick lanes, avoid temporary construction, etc. [/useless pedant crying into the hurricane of a misinformed public] ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2025, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2947 "2025-12-17T22:59:57Z")
Point taken. Navigation System is more accurate and the GPS part of that is certainly working correctly and well enough. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499.md?page=146) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499.md?page=148)