The Self-Driving Vehicles Thread

[Horse]

https://www.research.net/r/drisksurvey2020

Interested in driverless cars? Want to win £100 in shopping vouchers?

The D-Risk project team are looking for survey participants to help build a library of scenarios against which to test the responses of an automated vehicle (edge cases) in a virtual validation environment.

Please do take part yourselves, and share the link with customers, friends and family who are interested in driverless cars. We need lots of people to tell us their opinions of how automated vehicles should behave when unpredictable events happen on the road. The data will help to build systems to test the behaviour and performance logic of autonomous cars.

[wheelnut]

Mistaking a cattle grid for a wall - Somerset cattle grid mistaken for wall by car sensors

Cars have come off the road trying to cross a cattle grid after sensors mistook it for a wall and slammed on the brakes.

Somerset County Council said the grid had been "causing a very real danger to road users" on Hill Road in Minehead.

The grid, which was cut into the steep hill, "appeared to be an obstruction" to modern car sensors which automatically applied the brakes.

The county council has spent £70,000 "ironing out the problem".

A spokesman, said the grid had to be replaced following a "number of incidents of cars leaving the road" but "thankfully there have been no serious collisions".

To create a "virtually smooth ride across the grid", highways teams spent a month raising around 90ft (27.4m) of road and redesigning the "carriageway approaches".


So, is the road at fault here or the cars' electronics?

My last two cars have had the auto emergency braking. The last car, I don’t remember it kicking in all, the current car it’s fucking annoying and cuts in at the slightest thing. If you cross a white line it even slams the brakes on on one side, slewing the car across the road.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The last car, I don’t remember it kicking in all, the current car it’s fucking annoying and cuts in at the slightest thing. If you cross a white line it even slams the brakes on on one side, slewing the car across the road.

What do you mean "cross a white line" exactly? Surely it let's you change lanes etc?

[Cousin Jack]

What do you mean "cross a white line" exactly? Surely it let's you change lanes etc?

Last week I drove a car with 'Lane Assist' or some such shit. It was a pain in the arse in that it 'kicked' quite noticeably every time I deliberately changed lanes on a modern dual carriageway. However it threw in the towel on narrow roads when a warning that I was straying into the opposing lane might have been use. Overall I was unimpressed.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Did you indicate?

Loads of cars have lane assist now, you'd expect it deactivates when you put your indicators on. That's how I'd make it anyway.

[demographic]

Did you indicate?

Loads of cars have lane assist now, you'd expect it deactivates when you put your indicators on. That's how I'd make it anyway.

Was it a BMW? If it was it's maybe not used to people using indicators.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Have to admit, I've never driven a car with active 'lane assistance' rather than 'lane departure warning'. I've driven ones where there's a light/sound if you're straying close to the white line, but not ones which actively intervene.

IME with the warning systems only do anything if you're driving like you're not supposed to be - namely, crossing/approaching the white line when you're not indicating. That's what the system is supposed to prevent isn't it? But like I said, I've not driven one which actually takes positive action against you.

[Horse]

I understand that police driving schools are currently evaluating cars with combined forward vision and lane detection equipment.

On the approach to a left hand bend, the system will, when appropriate, advise:
"G'won G'won! Offside for view!"

[iansoady]

So you have to indicate even when there's nothing else in sight?

[Mr. Dazzle]

I do.

Force of habit if nothing else. Its not a habit I'm in a rush to break.

[iansoady]

Many many years ago when my dad was teaching me to drive he would be quite critical of "automatic indicating", arguing that it signified lack of observation. He was probably right (drummed into him as a police class 1) but of course traffic levels were then much lower and I confess I usually tend to do it myself these days.

[Horse]

Many many years ago when my dad was teaching me to drive he would be quite critical of "automatic indicating", arguing that it signified lack of observation. He was probably right (drummed into him as a police class 1) but of course traffic levels were then much lower and I confess I usually tend to do it myself these days.

It depends on whether you can guarantee having recognised anyone who might benefit, plus can react quickly enough if the situation changes. Often, better to give an unnecessary signal.

[iansoady]

True, better an unnecessary one than missing a necessary one.

[Dodgy69]

There's plenty of folk out there who really don't understand why they indicate. They don't when they should and do when they don't need.

[Horse]

There's plenty of folk out there who really don't understand why they indicate. They don't when they should and do when they don't need.

One of my pet hates (as a car passenger) is drivers with their fingers hovering over the indicator switch ... waiting. What for, FFS? if you're planning to turn and you think it's worth letting people know, then turn them on! But, no, wait, slow down, then signal. Gah!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Indicating right while exiting a roundabout is the one which winds me up. Living in MK I tend to see a lot of it

[Dodgy69]

Or not indicating left when cars waiting, or indicating too early, or ....

[Cousin Jack]

It depends on whether you can guarantee having recognised anyone who might benefit, plus can react quickly enough if the situation changes. Often, better to give an unnecessary signal.

Agreed, but better still to look, assess, and then signal if you think there is a possibility that someone might benefit. On an empty dual carriageway, pulling out 100 yards before reaching the car you are passing should be enough. And when pulling in again, with a 50m gap and a 25 mph speed advantage, a left indicator is also unnecessary.

[Horse]

Agreed, but that wasn't the context for the post.

[wheelnut]

The last car, I don’t remember it kicking in all, the current car it’s fucking annoying and cuts in at the slightest thing. If you cross a white line it even slams the brakes on on one side, slewing the car across the road.

What do you mean "cross a white line" exactly? Surely it let's you change lanes etc?

It’s got a system that if you cross a broken white line (without indicating) it gives the steering wheel a little wobble, if you cross a solid white line without indicating it activates the brakes on the side furthest from the white line. When it happens, the car slews across the road away from the line. Ok, in theory I suppose, in practice the cars often mistakes a broken line for a solid, especially on a wet road, slewing the car back across the road. It’s enough to make a passenger grab their seat and go WTF.

You can turn it off but it resets itself every time you start the car.