The technology to end traffic deaths exists. Why aren’t we using it?
-
Trains are great for moving people but only from one designated area to another. With most commuters, they might be all headed to the same city but completely different parts of the city that aren't easy to access. Their homes might all be in the same city but a 45 minute bus ride to the 40 minute train ride to the 20 minute bus ride, which isn't helpful for what might have been a 45 minute commute by car to begin with.
Imagine if all the space between the primary radial arms of trains was filled in with street cars and pedestrian/micromobility centric spaces. Like the problem you are saying cars solve just doesn’t exist in the first place and people can still get around very easily. Even more rural folks can simply drive to the edge of this style of urban design if they need access to something. The reason bus rides are 45 minutes is because of the number of cars they have to put up with. The density of people that can be moved with shockingly good area coverage if cars are not a factor is incredible.
-
The technologies mentioned in the article:
lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking (AEB), and blind-spot detection
AI-powered traffic systems
On-demand breathalyzers, smartphone saliva tests, and eye-tracking sensors
Only one of my cars has just one of those things (2015 Toyota Highlander and it's the blind spot monitor). That aside, all of my vehicles - cars and motorcycles - are paid off. I'm not going into debt just to have nannies yelling at me.
My vehicles are a means to an end. I would absolutely love more public transit, but there is just a single train station about 12 miles from my house, while my work is only 6 miles in the same direction. "You could bike" you might say, which is a fantastic idea. However, 90% of my commute is on a 55mph rural highway with minimal shoulders and zero bike lanes. It's literally a perfect candidate for a bus route and bike lanes, yet there are neither, and I am not risking my life on a bicycle next to 55MPH traffic during commuting hours.
Now tell me how I'm the problem.
-
Imagine if all the space between the primary radial arms of trains was filled in with street cars and pedestrian/micromobility centric spaces. Like the problem you are saying cars solve just doesn’t exist in the first place and people can still get around very easily. Even more rural folks can simply drive to the edge of this style of urban design if they need access to something. The reason bus rides are 45 minutes is because of the number of cars they have to put up with. The density of people that can be moved with shockingly good area coverage if cars are not a factor is incredible.
This sounds great but isn't really feasible in cities that are already built unfortunately.
-
This sounds great but isn't really feasible in cities that are already built unfortunately.
Look at the history of transportation in whatever city you’re imagining. Cars took over, but I guarantee that city had the transportation infrastructure you think isn’t feasible. The automobile industry has you brainwashed into thinking cars are the only option, but one just has to look at the history of transportation in any given city to know that that isn’t true.
-
Just to be clear, I do think the obvious solution to terrible things like this is vastly expanded public transit so that people don't have to rely on cars to get everywhere, not overhyped technology and driving aids that are still only marginally better than a human driver. I just thought the article was interesting.
What a load of fear mongering. Instead of having people take accountability for their actions we should require "safety features" that have a direct correlation to increased distracted driving. Maybe if somebody is killed we should make regulations around driving drunk? Oh yea pretty sure that exists. Problem is we have a bunch of steering wheel holders, hardly anybody is a driver anymore. Would lane assist and auto braking have prevented this? Possibly. But would lane assist not keep him barrel assing down the road doing up through the next intersection where somebody may decide to cross the road? This is not a fix. We have ALWAYS had the "technology" to avoid traffic deaths, problem is most people are selfish self centered pricks with but a ball of lint between their ears.
-
Look at the history of transportation in whatever city you’re imagining. Cars took over, but I guarantee that city had the transportation infrastructure you think isn’t feasible. The automobile industry has you brainwashed into thinking cars are the only option, but one just has to look at the history of transportation in any given city to know that that isn’t true.
What does this even mean? Are you claiming all cities had railroad and public transportation hubs prior to cars being invented? I'm brainwashed because I don't believe you can just seize private property and demolish tons of homes and businesses to build more efficient infrastructure in every moderate to large city in the country? Prior to cars existing, most cities were tiny and people didn't commute 50 miles for work every day.
Can you point to the cities elsewhere where this transformation has occurred or where this already existed outside of maybe a handful of examples on the entire planet?
-
More trains, trams, bicycle and/or e-scooter rentals, walking (a mile is what, 20 minutes walk at most?)
Trains?! For last mile?!
Trams, sure, smaller buses that run more often too. More routes.
Bicycles et al so long as they pay insurance, have a plate and know the traffic rules like everyone else - and preferably put them in their own lanes when possible.
Walking... if you have time and physical ability, but who cares about that, right? It's so cool and eco-friendly to say "just walk 20 minutes". -
Imagine if all the space between the primary radial arms of trains was filled in with street cars and pedestrian/micromobility centric spaces. Like the problem you are saying cars solve just doesn’t exist in the first place and people can still get around very easily. Even more rural folks can simply drive to the edge of this style of urban design if they need access to something. The reason bus rides are 45 minutes is because of the number of cars they have to put up with. The density of people that can be moved with shockingly good area coverage if cars are not a factor is incredible.
It's still bad.
My old commute was a 25-30 minute drive. For a while though, I had to do it by public transport.
I'd be walking for less than 10 minutes because both my house and my work were close to the train station. The rest of it was on 4 different trains, but all within one metropolitan area. The changes were no more than 5 minutes each, pretty good really. However, the number of stops and the number of changes killed any progress. The end result was that it took 1h45m to 2h.
Changing a 8hr + 2x30m day into an 8hr + 2x2h day is a significant change in lifestyle. Losing 3hr day means you don't enjoy your evenings, you don't socialise, and life is only work. It's miserable.
On a different job I worked at I could get there with just 1 train. That was about 35 minute drive or 55 minutes by train once you included the walk (again about 10-15 minutes total). Even with that you're asking yourself "Why am I not driving?".
-
Trains?! For last mile?!
Trams, sure, smaller buses that run more often too. More routes.
Bicycles et al so long as they pay insurance, have a plate and know the traffic rules like everyone else - and preferably put them in their own lanes when possible.
Walking... if you have time and physical ability, but who cares about that, right? It's so cool and eco-friendly to say "just walk 20 minutes".Bicycle insurance and plates? Why? That makes zero sense. We have these for cars because cars are dangerous, not just for funsies. Bicycles don't pose the same danger.
Walking... if you have time and physical ability, but who cares about that, right? It's so cool and eco-friendly to say "just walk 20 minutes".
Yeah it is cool and eco-friendly to walk 20 minutes (assuming one is able-bodied, as you mention.)
-
Bicycle insurance and plates? Why? That makes zero sense. We have these for cars because cars are dangerous, not just for funsies. Bicycles don't pose the same danger.
Walking... if you have time and physical ability, but who cares about that, right? It's so cool and eco-friendly to say "just walk 20 minutes".
Yeah it is cool and eco-friendly to walk 20 minutes (assuming one is able-bodied, as you mention.)
Bicycles do pose similar dangers. A cyclists running a red light it the typical example. Forces someone else to swerve and hit a post then what?
-
What a load of fear mongering. Instead of having people take accountability for their actions we should require "safety features" that have a direct correlation to increased distracted driving. Maybe if somebody is killed we should make regulations around driving drunk? Oh yea pretty sure that exists. Problem is we have a bunch of steering wheel holders, hardly anybody is a driver anymore. Would lane assist and auto braking have prevented this? Possibly. But would lane assist not keep him barrel assing down the road doing up through the next intersection where somebody may decide to cross the road? This is not a fix. We have ALWAYS had the "technology" to avoid traffic deaths, problem is most people are selfish self centered pricks with but a ball of lint between their ears.
The technology isn't great, but rather than implement it, you want us to expect humans to be great.
-
Bicycles do pose similar dangers. A cyclists running a red light it the typical example. Forces someone else to swerve and hit a post then what?
Cyclists on the whole break traffic laws a lot less than motorists.
Also, I love how your only example of "the dangers of cyclists" involves someone in a car having to react to a cyclist. If everyone is cycling, speeds are low enough to react and typically avoid collisions even if a potential conflict arises. The "forces someone to swerve" phenomenon mostly happens at the speed of motor vehicles.
-
The technology isn't great, but rather than implement it, you want us to expect humans to be great.
I wouldn't call paying attention while you hurdle down a strip of pavement at 60mph in a 2 ton metal cage being "great", id call it the minimum. And I'm not saying don't implement it, I'm just saying it's absurd to act like forcing it in every car is gonna fix the problem. It's just gonna make vehicles less affordable and add failure points.
-
I wouldn't call paying attention while you hurdle down a strip of pavement at 60mph in a 2 ton metal cage being "great", id call it the minimum. And I'm not saying don't implement it, I'm just saying it's absurd to act like forcing it in every car is gonna fix the problem. It's just gonna make vehicles less affordable and add failure points.
It's clearly not the minimum. The minimum is what we have today. It would be great if they act as you say.
-
Trains?! For last mile?!
Trams, sure, smaller buses that run more often too. More routes.
Bicycles et al so long as they pay insurance, have a plate and know the traffic rules like everyone else - and preferably put them in their own lanes when possible.
Walking... if you have time and physical ability, but who cares about that, right? It's so cool and eco-friendly to say "just walk 20 minutes".so you want to ruin childhood by placing pointless restrictions on bikes?
-
It's still bad.
My old commute was a 25-30 minute drive. For a while though, I had to do it by public transport.
I'd be walking for less than 10 minutes because both my house and my work were close to the train station. The rest of it was on 4 different trains, but all within one metropolitan area. The changes were no more than 5 minutes each, pretty good really. However, the number of stops and the number of changes killed any progress. The end result was that it took 1h45m to 2h.
Changing a 8hr + 2x30m day into an 8hr + 2x2h day is a significant change in lifestyle. Losing 3hr day means you don't enjoy your evenings, you don't socialise, and life is only work. It's miserable.
On a different job I worked at I could get there with just 1 train. That was about 35 minute drive or 55 minutes by train once you included the walk (again about 10-15 minutes total). Even with that you're asking yourself "Why am I not driving?".
I assume this is London.
And that's fine, the train commutes were not for your specific needs. Weird that you had to switch three times to get to your destination, including the walks.
But this is hardly the norm.
If you want to have counter-anecdotal evidence presented, my daily commute used to be 5 metro stops worth 9 minutes of ride and 5 minutes of walking (in total). By car it was about the same, except for the added inconvenience of finding and paying for parking. This was Budapest.
Then there was 15 minutes of train coupled with 25 minutes of walking, 20 to the train station at a brisk pace and then another 5 to the office through the underground maze. By car it'd have been 15 minutes, not counting traffic. Which there always was. Because this was Toronto, the home of "just one more lane, bro". So in total it was more like 40.
My current commute is 20-40 minutes by a single bus. Only ~2.5km. It'd be the same by car, because the route is entirely at the whims of the traffic.
However it doesn't matter, because I also bike, and it's my preferred mode of transportation. Biking in cities that do have minimal infra (such as well placed arteries) and culture for it, as in driving lessons focus on awareness and there is no us vs them mentality, is like IRL cheat code to commuting. You are faster than transit and traffic, you get some well needed exercise and de-stress time. And you get to exactly from where you leave from to where you want to go to, all while saving a dime.
Obviously biking is not for everyone. But if a fat dude with asthma in his late forties with two young children can do it, the barrier for entry doesn't seem that steep.
-
Just to be clear, I do think the obvious solution to terrible things like this is vastly expanded public transit so that people don't have to rely on cars to get everywhere, not overhyped technology and driving aids that are still only marginally better than a human driver. I just thought the article was interesting.
Mountains of shame looking for someone to blame, yet taking away our autonomy is the game.
-
Wait. Those things rely on visual sensors only?? That moronic! I mean, more so that I originally though. Please tell me that they have them, but this particular one was malfunctioning.
Edit: holy crap. How are these vehicles allowed to operate on public roads??
Mark Rober of YouTube recently did a video demonstrating how bad tesla sensors are.
-
so you want to ruin childhood by placing pointless restrictions on bikes?
Riiight, childhood's defined by riding bicycles and not doing so would ruin it... uh-huh.
Kids can ride them.all they want in parks and bike lanes, but you want them on the street alongside those dangerous cars? They might have a serious accident... now that would ruin their childhood.Grownups can ride on roads (if there's no bike lane available) provided the vehicle has a plate and is insured, like any other vehicle. The driver should have the basics of road safety and rules, as any other driver.
Your think of the children take is kinda lame, especially considering most kids these days care more about game consoles that bicycles (which is bad imho).
-
Cyclists on the whole break traffic laws a lot less than motorists.
Also, I love how your only example of "the dangers of cyclists" involves someone in a car having to react to a cyclist. If everyone is cycling, speeds are low enough to react and typically avoid collisions even if a potential conflict arises. The "forces someone to swerve" phenomenon mostly happens at the speed of motor vehicles.
Cyclists on the whole break traffic laws a lot less than motorists.
That's utter bullshit, I see them running lights all the time. And riding in groups, clogging the whole road, like they're on the freakin' tour de France.
You should know that it doesn't take "motor vehicle speeds" to cause a (serious) accident. And I suspect you do.