There advent of the concept of autonomous vehicles is very alluring to many. The idea that cars become robotic and time spent in frustration and boredom while commuting may become a thing of the past. There are however ethical issues at stake here.
The promise of the autonomous car is that there will be fewer collisions and fewer vehicular related deaths. Many cities like Las Vegas as experiencing a reduced number of accidents as more and more automated features are added to vehicles. Conversely, cars will go faster and drive closer to one another because all cars will be connected and have split second response times, faster than that of humans. However, whenever you mix humans into a mix with technology, many things can go wrong.
First, who makes decisions when an automated car has an ethical choice? For instance, a child loses her ball in the street and runs to get it. The car has three options: hit the child, hit a car nearby, or run into an oncoming car. In each case the probability of someone dying is well over fifty percent. Does the car purposely kill the driver because the driver is older and the child is younger? Does the car protect the driver as its main responsibility may be placed solely there? Is there a setting in the computer of the vehicle to to choose who to kill in such situations?
Another interesting question is that of mixing autonomous cars and non-autonomous cars. Can an autonomous car predict the behavior of a human driver? Can the reaction times of an autonomous vehicle overcome the unpredictability of a human driver?
These questions create a lot of debate as the transition to automated cars seems to be coming whether we want it or not. 66% of Americans are unsure of how autonomous vehicles will impact their lives. One key concern is that when there is an accident including an autonomous vehicle, how is fault assigned? Is the computer programmer at the car company to blame? No code is perfect because humans are involved. There will be hackers and tinkerers that disrupt normal behavior of autonomous cars.
As to liability, to date, according to Matthew L. Sharp Personal Injury Attorneys, all incidents today are faulted to the operator of the vehicle. At some point, as vehicle control is removed from the driver, liability will shift to the car makers. New prototype vehicles from major car manufacturers are already being displayed without steering control. The latest Mercedes Benz is one example.
Theoretically, in the future, no one will own cars. Each use of a vehicle will be a short term lease and the quality of the car will be chosen when leased. Once ordered with the destination in memory already, a driverless car will appear in your driveway for pickup. Once this occurs, the liability will be on the owner of the leasing company and will be included in the price. When this happens, very few human drivers will be left on the road and the number of accidents and vehicular related deaths will be very low.
Until then, however, we are just on the "bleeding edge" of the next evolution in cars and collision avoidance systems. The market is clearly moving in this direction and there will be fundamental shift in market behaviors and a significant reduction in accidents.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Monday, May 11, 2020
Cycling
I love the freedom of cycling! As a young boy, that first bicycle was special. Mine was a green coaster bike that had the perfect gear ratio so I could beat all my friends in races. I rode my wonderful bicycle with my brothers, and we found freedom and joy in cycling. At the time, I only knew, that each day, I just wanted to get my chores done so I could ride.
I've had cycling come and go through my life as I aged to adulthood. When I was serving in the military, my car had broken down and a friend loaned me his bicycle. It was much too large for me, but it provided a means of transportation that I didn't otherwise have. That spirit of my childhood and the freedom of riding still burned inside me.
Having ridden for a long time, I never really felt very vulnerable on a bicycle. Car drivers didn't seem to mind my presence on the roads and made allowances for me. For me it always felt like a symbiotic relationship between the bicycles and the cars, getting along in sweet harmony.
Riding a bicycle to work however represented many benefits and challenges. When I have been able to ride to work everyday, I have always felt like I was in greater and greater shape. My sleep was better, and I generally felt stronger. While I felt stronger, there was always the issue of hygiene. Riding in a warm climate quickly creates a lot of sweat, and with sweat, body odor. The most optimal times for riding to work have included a gym at or near the office to shower and dress for the work.
The drawbacks for those rides were challenging. Handling clothing, weather, and tired legs were just a few. Almost always, I have to carry clothes with me in a backpack along with shoes and my laptop. This requires a decent size backpack which isn't very conducive to great riding. Bad weather is also a challenge in both directions. If at work and storm comes up, I would have to beg for a ride home with someone that had a vehicle large enough for the bike. As for tired legs, in the beginning of each effort for riding, inherently, my legs were too tired to ride back home, which also led to begging for rides.
As to the dangers of riding, on April 24, just a few weeks ago, I was sideswiped by an SUV on a road very near to my house while on my bicycle. The driver left the scene, and I received a number of injuries and broken bones. This brought a reality to the dangers of cycling and placed it clearly in view. The assumption of the symbiotic relationship mentioned earlier was abolished, and an ensuing distrust for automobile drivers replaced it. While I have thousands of hours on the bicycle for recreation, exercise and commuting, all in relative safety, now I have much more concern and realization how one incident can and does affect a cyclist. As I heal and fix my bicycle I ponder deeply how riding will look for me in the future.
Safety equipment is of extreme importance, and of even more importance now to me. Having a quality and properly fitting bike helmet definitely saved my life that day. Wearing protective glasses with a strap was also important to my survival. With secure access to my phone that day, I was able to call for help. Before this accident, I wore these items as a precaution for what I considered improbable. When I ride again, it will because of what is practical.
Riders, drivers and pedestrians must be alert and cognizant of each other. DePaolo & Zadeikis Law Offices in a recent article state that cyclist are more apt to be hit on busy areas although accidents can happen anywhere. Time of day is also a key factor in accidents. Rush hours are the most typical times for accidents. Riders who are involved in an accident should follow the advice of Ankin Law Office in seeking medical treatment and the police and if able gather information from witnesses.
I fully intend to get back in the saddle and enjoy cycling again. I have cycled in Thailand, Italy, England, and at home. While I may add more flashers to my bicycle, I will probably adjust the timing of my rides as well as the locations and areas. Riding is still a great joy for me and I will cherish that first ride in a few months once I am healed. The true reality is that accidents happen and that there are bad drivers and bad people in the world. This however will not stop me from enjoying my passion for cycling.
I've had cycling come and go through my life as I aged to adulthood. When I was serving in the military, my car had broken down and a friend loaned me his bicycle. It was much too large for me, but it provided a means of transportation that I didn't otherwise have. That spirit of my childhood and the freedom of riding still burned inside me.
Having ridden for a long time, I never really felt very vulnerable on a bicycle. Car drivers didn't seem to mind my presence on the roads and made allowances for me. For me it always felt like a symbiotic relationship between the bicycles and the cars, getting along in sweet harmony.
Riding a bicycle to work however represented many benefits and challenges. When I have been able to ride to work everyday, I have always felt like I was in greater and greater shape. My sleep was better, and I generally felt stronger. While I felt stronger, there was always the issue of hygiene. Riding in a warm climate quickly creates a lot of sweat, and with sweat, body odor. The most optimal times for riding to work have included a gym at or near the office to shower and dress for the work.
The drawbacks for those rides were challenging. Handling clothing, weather, and tired legs were just a few. Almost always, I have to carry clothes with me in a backpack along with shoes and my laptop. This requires a decent size backpack which isn't very conducive to great riding. Bad weather is also a challenge in both directions. If at work and storm comes up, I would have to beg for a ride home with someone that had a vehicle large enough for the bike. As for tired legs, in the beginning of each effort for riding, inherently, my legs were too tired to ride back home, which also led to begging for rides.
As to the dangers of riding, on April 24, just a few weeks ago, I was sideswiped by an SUV on a road very near to my house while on my bicycle. The driver left the scene, and I received a number of injuries and broken bones. This brought a reality to the dangers of cycling and placed it clearly in view. The assumption of the symbiotic relationship mentioned earlier was abolished, and an ensuing distrust for automobile drivers replaced it. While I have thousands of hours on the bicycle for recreation, exercise and commuting, all in relative safety, now I have much more concern and realization how one incident can and does affect a cyclist. As I heal and fix my bicycle I ponder deeply how riding will look for me in the future.
Safety equipment is of extreme importance, and of even more importance now to me. Having a quality and properly fitting bike helmet definitely saved my life that day. Wearing protective glasses with a strap was also important to my survival. With secure access to my phone that day, I was able to call for help. Before this accident, I wore these items as a precaution for what I considered improbable. When I ride again, it will because of what is practical.
Riders, drivers and pedestrians must be alert and cognizant of each other. DePaolo & Zadeikis Law Offices in a recent article state that cyclist are more apt to be hit on busy areas although accidents can happen anywhere. Time of day is also a key factor in accidents. Rush hours are the most typical times for accidents. Riders who are involved in an accident should follow the advice of Ankin Law Office in seeking medical treatment and the police and if able gather information from witnesses.
I fully intend to get back in the saddle and enjoy cycling again. I have cycled in Thailand, Italy, England, and at home. While I may add more flashers to my bicycle, I will probably adjust the timing of my rides as well as the locations and areas. Riding is still a great joy for me and I will cherish that first ride in a few months once I am healed. The true reality is that accidents happen and that there are bad drivers and bad people in the world. This however will not stop me from enjoying my passion for cycling.
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