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Automatic braking systems save lives. Now they’ll need to work at 62 MPH

(www.wired.com)
32 points LinuxBender | 2 comments | 20 Nov 24 15:16 UTC | HN request time: 1.069s | source
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techdmn ◴[20 Nov 24 15:35 UTC] No.42194803[source]▶
I have a Tesla with AEB that drives me up the wall. I'm often driving in heavy traffic, and occasionally need to quickly, but smoothly, stop within a few feet of the vehicle ahead. My car decides I'm cutting it too close, engages full automatic braking, jerking the car to sudden stop with a 10 foot gap. Sometimes the vehicle ahead will even start moving before my car is stopped, but it has decided to stop and stop it shall. Cannot override even by flooring the accelerator. I miss cars that did what they were told, when they were told to do it. For the record I've never rear-ended anyone.
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1. andrepd ◴[20 Nov 24 16:05 UTC] No.42195226[source]▶
>For the record I've never rear-ended anyone.

I understand the sentiment. However consider that cars kill around 2 million people, and maim another 2, every single year. For scale, its equivalent to a fully loaded passenger jet falling out of the sky every few hours.

Anything you can do to reduce this insanity is welcome.

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2. techdmn ◴[20 Nov 24 19:47 UTC] No.42197425[source]▶
I understand how we got here. I read a study somewhere several years ago that found that even in emergency situations, a significant percentage of drivers will not use more than roughly 60% of the braking force that would cause a lock-up or engage ABS. They brake harder than they ever have before, they just don't have any idea where the limit actually is.

The average person is a poor driver, so we increase overall safety by mandating automated systems that perform below the level of a skilled driver. Of course even skilled drivers make mistakes, and even if I could outperform the automated system 99 times out of 100, I wouldn't bet that I wouldn't get the book thrown at me if I were in an accident with the safety system disabled. Grin and bear it I suppose.