Electronic Stability Control becoming a legal necessity

It'd be trading greater reliability in predictable circumstances for possibly worse responses in circumstances outside of the norm. We still don't permit autonomous robots outside of controlled environments, and there's good reason for that.

A brighter future for a darker age.

It's not like there wouldn't be a manual override. I mean, commercial airlines are mostly flown on automatic (and I think they covered the landing thing on Myth Busters didn't they?), but they're still not ready for full automation yet.

Fight smart, not fair.

Yeah, I can see automated freeways a lot more readily and quickly. Automated parking garages, perhaps, too.

A brighter future for a darker age.

I suspect the country and off road vehicles won't have it. The efficiency improvements will likely help as well.

Fight smart, not fair.

To quote from the Driving Stick page:

...and if you have an manual licence, you can drive an automatic car (up to 3.5 ton or seven seats — if you're below a certain age, you'll need another test for those).

Either way, the car I've got was simple when it was new (in '98) — so it has no ABS, Power Steering, Electric Windows or CD Player. Things can (and do) still go wrong though.

But I've seen what happens when something does go wrong. At somewhere I used to Volunteer, one of the vehicles (limited to 20mph when new in the late 1920's) was taken out by someone who didn't know what they were doing, and the vehicle is still off the road, slowly having the engine rebuilt...

Keep Rolling On

Oh, man CD players, I remember when those came out. My truck doesn't have one, but I got a converter dealie. Too bad the tape player is broken too.

Fight smart, not fair.

I've got one, but it won't work unless the cassette door is closed and with the cable it isn't, so it's the radio for me.

Keep Rolling On

That's actually the least important part of the page. Nearly everyone does learn on a manual transmission because manuals are cheaper so your first car will have them and the driving instructor car will have them and only going for an automatic licence is like admitting defeat because the transmission is your first and second lesson and by the time you take the test you find it easy.

Then after your first car you say "Screw that, I'm paying the extra for an automatic".

Where I live, the point is sorta moot: 90% of people use manual cars. Unless you go out of your way to buy a new car (and only suckers pay 12+ grand new if you can get the same car for two grand 2nd hand) you'll be driving a manual.

edited 20th Apr '11 11:37:33 AM by SavageHeathen

You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.

Completely agreed with the OP, people forget that driving a car isn't a right, it's a privilege with great responsibility. Cars are the leading cause of violent death today, far too many people commute that should be telecommuting, centralized delivery systems like milk trucks have been abandoned in favor of inefficient shopping trips, and the layout of both cities and suburban areas are far too pedestrian/public transport-hostile.

There should be far stricter driving tests (including physicals,) annual tests should be mandatory for all drivers, and special licenses should be required for critically low-performance vehicles like SUVs & motorhomes. Also, the police should be focusing on tailgaters and those holding up traffic, though by far DUI enforcement is the greatest area improvement is needed.

There should be roaming DUI roadblocks at all times to screen out intoxicated (or otherwise obviously incapable) drivers, with lengthy license bans and extremely stiff fines to eradicate them from the roads.

Excellent idea, immunity from speed limits would be nice as well.

Eric,

Immunity from speed limits? There's no such thing.