Article: Self driving trucks by end of 2020

They aren't going to make laws protecting anybody from getting sued because their driverless truck killed somebody, I just don't see it happening. What other industry is protected from lawsuits if their equipment or product kills somebody, only asking because I don't know what ones that would be.

 

You are pretty good on the round trip except me and wife can do LA to Avenel NJ and back within the 125 or so total hours and one fill up each way maybe a third if she gulped more towards the end of the round trip USA.

 

@x1Heavy im talking more of a solo run at around 600 miles per day. Trip total around 2500-3000 depending on starting and engin points.


@Rubber duck kw

Let’s see, if driverless vehicles are coming, and driverless trucks are coming, what’s stopping legislators from imposing laws that state all vehicles on the road are now controlled by a central unit?


Listen the government made us wear seatbelts, not far off from not allowing us to touch the stearing wheels.


Also as far as making the laws that will keep us from suing the crap out of the manufacturers not far off from that either.

 

I understand and totally agree. No contest. Mea Culpa I say.

Take care, be safe.

 

Government doesn't make me wear a seat belt, I don't want to wear a seat belt so I don't. Government requiring all vehicles controlled by a central unit would be serious government overreach. You haven't answered what other industry is protected from being sued yet either.

 

Currently in all the states I travel in requires me to wear a seatbelt. If I choose not to that’s up to me but the requirement is still there.


As for an industry where manufacturers can’t be sued the gun industry comes into mind, but lately that is changed by a judge allowing gun manufacturers to be sued for their products.

Now take into account yes a defective unit can be a cause for a lawsuit but the blame will be shifted towards bad maintenance or improper training.

The following facts:

According to the Large Truck Crash Causation Study conducted for the FMCSA:

• Twenty-seven percent of trucks were found to have brake problems
• Nineteen percent of drivers were unfamiliar with the route
• 10 percent of truck drivers felt under pressure
• Seven percent were overly tired
• Three percent experienced tire problems
• Five percent were driving in an aggressive manner
• One percent were ill
• 0.4 percent were under the influence of illegal substances
• 0.3 percent had been consuming alcohol

This would mean that approximately 45% of crashes can be fixed with a driverless truck and mandated run flat tires can increase it to above 70%

Meaning that driverless trucks are just better.


Now take into account the other 30% of crashes and who was the cause you might increase it further if driverless vehicles are now mandated to connect to other vehicles to further reduce accidents.


In other words cost of insurance will still be the same if not less when you take the driver out of the loop. Or an increase I. Coverage will fix that and rates will fix the issue.

New driver: 36k per year salary 22k a year in insurance for a mega carrier.

Drop the driver and double the insurance to 44k a year.

Still saves megas about 15-20k a year for a solo or 30-40k a year for team, They will jump on it.

 

It’s easy to pick out the Koolaid drinkers some days

 

One would think that but common sense says otherwise.

If it’s being researched and tested than a need exists and it will be filled.

Deny all you want but it’s going to happen within the next 20-30 years at most.

 

Driverless trucks require good well marked roads so that the lane mitigation systems can work properly.

So between winter and construction seasons, where do you see all that working long enough to make a $275-300 truck purchase without a driver a feasible investment?

Nearly every state for 5-6 hours a day would require manual controls to stop it from causing crashes from the constant construction and bad winter weather.

Not to mention the states dont have the funding to actually fix all the roads all at once, and even if they did the trucks would have to stay on say..... parts of the deep south that don't get snow.

So you can have em' I live in Canada where we have real bad conditions.

 

When the technology and systems become robust enough and proven safer it will be the insurance companies that force the change as they will simply require an autonomous vehicle for a company/owner to get insurance at a reasonable rate.