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posted by martyb on Wednesday October 12 2016, @03:18PM   Printer-friendly
from the pay-attention-to-the-road dept.

Fatal crashes in the first half of 2016 jumped by more than 1,500 when compared to last year, marking the largest spike in 50 years. 

From January to June, 17,775 people died in traffic-related incidents, increasing by 10.4 percent from the same period in 2015, a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found. While traffic deaths remain significantly lower than pre-2006 numbers, many aren't satisfied and say there's more to be done to ensure safety on the nation's streets. As the United States continues to lag behind other industrialized nations in traffic safety numbers, some are looking to autonomous, or self-driving, vehicles as an answer to accidental fatalities caused by human error in motor vehicle crashes.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 12 2016, @05:06PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 12 2016, @05:06PM (#413534)

    As a stepping stone, I won't be surprised if major arteries into big cities will soon convert one lane (in many cases, those that are now designated as "high occupancy lanes" reserved for vehicles with at least two occupants) into an AV lane, with requirements that each AV be able to communicate wirelessly with highway control stations. The movement of cars during rush hour will resemble a train.

  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday October 12 2016, @06:25PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday October 12 2016, @06:25PM (#413575) Journal

    Right now, many major cities have lanes expressly marked for the exclusive use of carpools and BMW owners.

    Couldn't the self driving cars simply be allowed into those lanes?

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 12 2016, @07:16PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 12 2016, @07:16PM (#413596)

      > Couldn't the self driving cars simply be allowed into those lanes?

      Not if they get in the way of the Beemer drivers (lately it's Audi drivers also). Might be acceptable if they moved as fast as the lane, which is often well over the speed limit).

    • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday October 12 2016, @08:26PM

      by Phoenix666 (552) on Wednesday October 12 2016, @08:26PM (#413625) Journal

      I've been thinking the same thing lately, myself, that BMW drivers have taken the crown as the most obnoxious and entitled on the road. Guess others are thinking the same thing.

      Would be nice to have a way to objectively measure which brands/models those drivers are moving to so the rest of us can ostracize them.

      --
      Washington DC delenda est.
      • (Score: 3, Informative) by DannyB on Wednesday October 12 2016, @08:39PM

        by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday October 12 2016, @08:39PM (#413630) Journal

        The obnoxious drivers will shift the moment there is a shiny new iCar. You'll have to wait in a line for two days. Then you'll have to prove that you have met the minimum required level of smugness. It only runs on iFuel. You can't open the hood. And none of the drivetrain components can be serviced.

        --
        People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.