# Would you ride in a self-driven car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409 "2013-01-07T22:44:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/1 "2013-01-07T22:44:49Z")
There are all kinds of prototypes of self-driven cars out there. Would you ride in one? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/2 "2013-01-07T22:46:34Z")
Heck yes. I can’t wait until they get to market, and then 10 years later I can afford one. I want one for my wife, too, who will probably not be able to drive again. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/3 "2013-01-07T22:54:13Z")
I’m a total driving snob who sneers at automatic transmissions (yes I know :rolleyes: ) and can’t imagine paying money for a “self-driving” car. Would I want to ride in one? Heck yes, why not? I love playing. 🙂 Question for Twickster: any reason why you set this as a public poll? I’ll vote in it anyway because who cares what I think. Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/4 "2013-01-07T22:59:30Z")
I would ride in one if **I** were at the steering wheel and could react if I felt like the car was making a driving decision I didn’t agree with. I’d be really uncomfortable (and might or might not refuse) being in a passenger seat of such a car until the technology becomes vastly more common. That being said, I think this stuff is really cool, and if I did get the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat, I’d take it. ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/5 "2013-01-07T23:01:48Z")
Maye in 15-20 years, when all the inevitable bugs have been ironed out. But not right now. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/6 "2013-01-07T23:23:21Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > Question for Twickster: any reason why you set this as a public poll? > I’ll vote in it anyway because who cares what I think. Just curious. Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/7 "2013-01-07T23:31:14Z")
For a novelty ride around a test track, or even in town at city traffic speeds, I would hop right in. As part of a regular commute, no. I like driving too much and I’m too much of a control freak to make it my regular mode of transportation. I don’t even like other people to drive when I’m in a car. My hands twitch involuntarily. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/8 "2013-01-07T23:35:03Z")
I’ve taken rides from all kinds of people that should probably have their licenses taken away. Riding in a car designed by a team of smart computer scientists? No problem. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/9 "2013-01-07T23:46:48Z")
Hey, no way, man. I saw Total Recall. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/10 "2013-01-08T00:54:38Z")
Aw, Johnny Cab was cute! Seriously, umm no. A diehard traditionalist when it comes to this. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/11 "2013-01-08T01:09:27Z")
Sleep on the way to work, hell yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/12 "2013-01-08T01:23:45Z")
Ride in one? Sure. I will hop in anything that drives, flies, floats, or hovers just for the thrill. [Toonces the Driving Cat is much more competent at driving than some people I have ridden with and that was before they got liquored up.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x5-38LJ8N4) I don’t want to buy one right now though. I love driving way too much at least on open roads so that isn’t a convience that I would pay money for or ever desire until I get really old or disabled or something. Let everyone else have it though especially with smart traffic routing features. It seems like the technology is almost mature enough to save a lot of money by figuring out optimal routing for large numbers of vehicles simultaneously in ways only computers can. It should be much safer and cheaper than building more roads that conform to herd mentality. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/13 "2013-01-08T01:56:36Z")
I can’t wait for them to be available for the general public. I hate driving. I’d rather sleep or read on my commute to work. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/14 "2013-01-08T02:23:49Z")
GPS isn’t even completely accurate yet. This is at an even lower level where being inches off can cause problems. Honestly, I’ve never understood why this is being pursued so hard at the level of technology we have currently reached. I know where detection software is right now, and in no way do I trust it to be able to detect every single hazard and drive around it. You’ll note how all the tests are done in big cities where the roads are very clearly defined, and never in the backwoods dirt roads, and not in school neighborhoods. And why would I want to go to sleep once the day has started? That’s a surefire way to make yourself more tired throughout the day. I’d be up the entire time, unable to do anything since I’d get car sick. I don’t get car sick while I drive. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/15 "2013-01-08T02:32:30Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > GPS isn’t even completely accurate yet. This is at an even lower level where being inches off can cause problems. Why is GPS a prerequisite to a good self-driving car? You don’t have GPS, but you manage to drive. These things depend on local sensors, not measuring the millionths of a second it took a radio signal from a satellite thousands of miles up to reach you. > [@BigT](#): > > I know where detection software is right now Where is it? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/16 "2013-01-08T02:33:47Z")
In a second. I trust computers more than drivers **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/17 "2013-01-08T02:40:55Z")
Absolutely. In a heart beat. I don’t drive at all, nor do I wish to learn, so a self-driving car is perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/18 "2013-01-08T03:06:22Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > … and never in the backwoods dirt roads,… Leave the backwoods to the backwoodsmen. If my can can’t drive me there, it isn’t worth going to. 😛 ---
**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:** [January 8, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/19 "2013-01-08T03:14:28Z")
For those who are NOT interested: Would you be interested in a car that had completely adaptive cruise control, slowing down for traffic in front, staying in a lane automatically, and able to creep and halt and speed up in stop and go traffic? Would you be interested in a car that had automatic crash avoidance and pre-collision damage reduction? If your vehicle was tied in via vehicle to vehicle communication with a lead vehicle with a professional driver at the wheel on an open highway, would you be willing to cede control to that driver? If it was cheap enough would you be interested in letting your car park itself, not just parallel park, but drop you off at the door in the rain and park itself in the lot, coming to get you when you called? These partial steps are likely how the technology will roll out; would any or none of them be appealing? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409/20 "2013-01-08T03:14:48Z")
I’d love it, once the kinks are worked out, it’s affordable, and with the assumption that I can deactivate the auto-drive whenever I want and for any lenght of time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-ride-in-a-self-driven-car/646409.md?page=2)