Dangerous stupidity.

Autonomous cars ??

How will they sort out insurance liability in the event of an accident ?

Who will be liable as there will be no driver as such ?

They will be in the back having a kip
Or boozed up having been down the pub ??
Compared to present day, it might be more straightforward to determine who's at fault if we reach a stage where many/most vehicles on the road are truly autonomous. There will be increased levels of data collection and cameras. In scenarios where both vehicles are autonomous and neither 'driver' was engaging with the vehicle during the incident, the fault will simply sit with one of the manufacturers as the data logs and cameras will show which vehicle failed.

Let's face it, it's going to be a long transition. At present with various driver assistance technology, it's always made clear the driver needs to remain alert and, ultimately, in control. However I believe further down the line, if indeed individuals are still allowed to own a vehicle, the time will come where they are fully autonomous with no requirement for a 'driver.'

Alas, I reckon we'll all be six foot under or in an urn by that time ;)
 
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A while ago I asked on here why some drivers "tailgate", as it is something I've never understood. Somebody answered that the tailgater is using the car in front as his potential crumple zone in the event of a crash.

I didn't understand that either.
This is what's even more frightening in a way. There are tailgaters fully aware of what they're doing and those that aren't. No road or spatial awareness whatsoever.

Away from tailgating and referring to driving in general, this won't be a popular view, but you have to question if there should be an upper limit on the number of times someone can sit a driving test. I don't mean 3-4 times, but maybe something like 8. I do appreciate this has lifelong consequences in terms of employment etc, however if you can't pass after 8 attempts, surely that indicates quite a high degree of incompetence?
 
That's true enough - see headlights flashing behind you in the distance and that normally means a speed merchant is heading your way. At least they warn you of their impending arrival. Back in the days if 170mph Porsches I used to reckon my RS2600 was fairly quick - these days that would be considered pedestrian

Unfortunately I was driving a van. Most autobahns I travelled were only 2 lanes each direction. As I was quicker than the lorries in the inside lane, but slower than the nutters in the outside lane I was caught between the two. No middle lane to settle in. Was constantly either overtaking or waiting for gap in outside lane so I could move out to overtake.

Often there would be about two lorries in the inside lane for me to overtake. Checked my rear view mirror, nothing at all in outside lane behind me for miles, so moved out to overtake the lorries. Usually passed the first one, but by the time I was passing the second there would be a budding Hamilton filling my rear view mirror. Going so fast they appear from nowhere. Sometimes if I was in inside lane something would pass at stupid miles per hour and I could feel my vehicle shudder with the air pressure as they passed. Saw the after effects of a couple of high speed crashes when there - big drama.
 
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Away from tailgating and referring to driving in general, this won't be a popular view, but you have to question if there should be an upper limit on the number of times someone can sit a driving test. I don't mean 3-4 times, but maybe something like 8. I do appreciate this has lifelong consequences in terms of employment etc, however if you can't pass after 8 attempts, surely that indicates quite a high degree of incompetence?

8 seems excessive, if someone cannot pass within the 3 or 4 you mention, I would question their suitability to be in charge of such a lethal machine as a motor vehicle. When I bought a car-cam, I made a point of selecting one which included a rear facing cam, simply because I do find tail-gating very intimidating. Some while ago, I posted one section of video on Youtube of one particular incident I suffered.
 
Got three drivers nicked for stopping on a 50mph stretch of road to force their way into off ramp as they didn’t want to queue.
Driving like that gets people killed .
Anyone can report dangerous driving online on the police web sites.
 
Unfortunately I was driving a van. Most autobahns I travelled were only 2 lanes each direction. As I was quicker than the lorries in the inside lane, but slower than the nutters in the outside lane I was caught between the two. No middle lane to settle in. Was constantly either overtaking or waiting for gap in outside lane so I could move out to overtake.

Often there would be about two lorries in the inside lane for me to overtake. Checked my rear view mirror, nothing at all in outside lane behind me for miles, so moved out to overtake the lorries. Usually passed the first one, but by the time I was passing the second there would be a budding Hamilton filling my rear view mirror. Going so fast they appear from nowhere. Sometimes if I was in inside lane something would pass at stupid miles per hour and I could feel my vehicle shudder with the air pressure as they passed. Saw the after effects of a couple of high speed crashes when there - big drama.
That was probably me.
I think fast cars should have a lever or a button on the steering wheel to get an intermittent flashing of the high beam.
It's annoying at 150mph+ to use the middle finger in a similar way one pleasures his other half...
Very distracting...
 
Autonomous cars ??

How will they sort out insurance liability in the event of an accident ?

Who will be liable as there will be no driver as such ?

They will be in the back having a kip
Or boozed up having been down the pub ??
Insurance is easy, the insurance company pays out. If criminal charges were needed that isn't as obvious.
 
Unfortunately I was driving a van. Most autobahns I travelled were only 2 lanes each direction. As I was quicker than the lorries in the inside lane, but slower than the nutters in the outside lane I was caught between the two. No middle lane to settle in. Was constantly either overtaking or waiting for gap in outside lane so I could move out to overtake
Imagine doing that in a 600cc Dyane, then. When my car was in dock I sometimes used to borrow the missuses motor to go to work (not over the border in Germany, though). That thing was so gutless that pulling out to pass a truck just as an uphill gradient changed to a downhill stretch could leave me sitting in the outside lane whilst the trucks undertook me nose to tail. Yikes! Happy days!
 
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Imagine doing that in a 600cc Dyane,
Loved my Corgi Dyane when I was little! :giggle:
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....and if you have ever been tailgated by an HGV in roadworks, it can be another case of calibration.
They can be sat with cruise control set to 50, with their calibrated tacho, when we have to contend with an under-reading speedo.
It doesn't make it right though!
...although I am reminded of my brother who once had a Scania, that had its rear axle replaced with a coach one.
He tended to get places a lot faster! ;)
 
Imagine doing that in a 600cc Dyane, then. When my car was in dock I sometimes used to borrow the missuses motor to go to work (not over the border in Germany, though). That thing was so gutless that pulling out to pass a truck just as an uphill gradient changed to a downhill stretch could leave me sitting in the outside lane whilst the trucks undertook me nose to tail. Happy days!

That's worse than my first autobahn experience. First trip to Prague was in 1995. We hired a car there and after queueing at the border we ventured into Germany. I had the freedom of unlimited speed for the first time in my driving career. The hire car - a bloody Skoda Favorit!!! :(
 
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