DrezKill
Gawd
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2007
- Messages
- 769
As long as I am physically able to do so, I will never stop driving cars (especially manual transmission ones). Driving is some of the most fun I've ever had in my life. I don't really give a shit about autonomous vehicles. Whether I'm sitting in traffic, hitting a high-g corner, cruisin' down the highway, driving for fun or just running errands, I will always be in control of my own vehicle and actively engaged in the driving experience. For me it's not just about getting from point A to point B, it's about how I get there, and how much fun I have getting there. And no, you don't have to be a reckless fool driving unsafely on public roads to have fun. You can completely follow all road laws and still enjoy the way you car feels, the way it handles, the way it brakes and corners, the feel of the shifter as you slide it into each gate, enjoy the awesome note coming from the exhaust and the beautiful sound of the engine. Just the act of driving alone is fantastic and fun. I will never cede total vehicle control to any damn computer system. I don't ever plan on having children, but if I do, I will make sure they learn how to properly drive, control, and maintain a vehicle. Above all, I would teach them to truly appreciate cars and the act of driving. I would make sure they aren't reliant on computer-controlled systems, even things like ABS, traction control, and stability control (cuz when such systems fail, you will need to rely on your own skills).
All that said, autonomous vehicles definitely have their place, and would be another handy tool to have around for various reasons, some of which have already been stated by others in this thread. What the USA needs is some of the stricter training and requirements needed in other countries for their citizens to obtain drivers licenses. Indeed, driving over here is treated as a right rather than a privilege, and there are a lot of immature drivers. There's no way we could ever be able to have something like the autobahn, for example. Just imagine the kind of shit US drivers would get into with that.
Despite being a tech and computer geek, I tend to prefer older cars with less computer systems. I'm not a big fan of drive-by-wire systems either. I avoid vehicles with electric steering, electric braking, and electric throttle. I don't have a problem with paddle-shifting (and at least you still change gears manually with them) and I recognize the advantages of computer-controlled clutches and dual-clutch transmissions when it comes to performance (and also preserving transmission components), but if given a choice, I need a clutch pedal for my left foot and an H-gate shifter for my hand, cuz that's just what's more fun.
I can and do drive cars from the 80s, 70s, and 60s, and I have a blast doing so. My main daily driver right now is from the late 90s. I regularly play game consoles from the 90s, 80s, and late 70s, arcade systems from the 80s and 90s, and I still have computers from the mid-90s up and running. FlyHelicopters said "You wouldn't want to go back 30 years to drive cars from 1985." Yes I most certainly would. As for computers from 30 years back, I honestly would love to f*ck with such systems.
In the end, it's about choice. As long as I am not explicitly forced to let cars take control of the driving, as long as autonomous cars don't interfere with my enjoyment of motor vehicles, then I don't really have any problems with them showing up, or becoming more prevalent. There will always be a need for such things.
All that said, autonomous vehicles definitely have their place, and would be another handy tool to have around for various reasons, some of which have already been stated by others in this thread. What the USA needs is some of the stricter training and requirements needed in other countries for their citizens to obtain drivers licenses. Indeed, driving over here is treated as a right rather than a privilege, and there are a lot of immature drivers. There's no way we could ever be able to have something like the autobahn, for example. Just imagine the kind of shit US drivers would get into with that.
Despite being a tech and computer geek, I tend to prefer older cars with less computer systems. I'm not a big fan of drive-by-wire systems either. I avoid vehicles with electric steering, electric braking, and electric throttle. I don't have a problem with paddle-shifting (and at least you still change gears manually with them) and I recognize the advantages of computer-controlled clutches and dual-clutch transmissions when it comes to performance (and also preserving transmission components), but if given a choice, I need a clutch pedal for my left foot and an H-gate shifter for my hand, cuz that's just what's more fun.
I can and do drive cars from the 80s, 70s, and 60s, and I have a blast doing so. My main daily driver right now is from the late 90s. I regularly play game consoles from the 90s, 80s, and late 70s, arcade systems from the 80s and 90s, and I still have computers from the mid-90s up and running. FlyHelicopters said "You wouldn't want to go back 30 years to drive cars from 1985." Yes I most certainly would. As for computers from 30 years back, I honestly would love to f*ck with such systems.
In the end, it's about choice. As long as I am not explicitly forced to let cars take control of the driving, as long as autonomous cars don't interfere with my enjoyment of motor vehicles, then I don't really have any problems with them showing up, or becoming more prevalent. There will always be a need for such things.