On 2016-05-09 1:15 PM, dsi1 wrote:
> On Monday, May 9, 2016 at 6:00:08 AM UTC-10, Doug Freyburger wrote:
>> sf wrote:
>>>
>>> Driverless cars are not as outrageous as some here seem to
>>> think. Forget drunk drivers. It scares the bejebus out of me to
>>> see creaky old people with their poor vision and slow reflexes
>>> behind the wheel - but they want to remain independent, so
>>> driverless cars are the way to go. Even Lyft will be
>>> experimenting with the concept.
>>
>> Driver less cars now exist in small numbers. From here on out
>> their number will grow steadily as their price falls. I figure
>> 10ish years before I see them most days, 20ish years before most
>> vehicles are driver less. There is still a career in truck driving
>> for anyone who wants to not be at home, though the field will
>> wither as the years move on.
>>
>> Driver less cars are not wreck free but they are closer than any
>> human age group.
>
> I think most commercial long-distance haulers should mostly be driven
> without humans. It would seem to be a safer and cheaper route. As far
> as I know, robots don't need much sleep.
>
> My brother-in-law thinks that the commercial driver's school for
> these big rigs are a scam and that the drivers aren't ready for the
> road. I'm inclined to believe him.

There are some credible driving schools. Schools can teach you a lot of
stuff about safe driving, about weight distribution, stopping distances,
air brake systems and gear shift patterns. The biggest problems most
truck drivers have are the stress of keeping on schedule and dealing
with the monotony. They work strange hours and run into a lot of bad
traffic.

There is also the problem of every increasing vehicle dimensions.
Trailers us to be shorter and more manageable. Now most of them are
53ft. They are less maneuverable in city streets and they have a
tendency to jack knife. It takes the air in the braking system longer to
reach the back brakes than it does for the tractor's brakes, so when
they have to brake hard the tractor brakes come on and there is a
slight lag for the trailer brakes. Meanwhile, the tail is wagging the
dog. The trailer is trying to maintain speed while the tractor is
slowing, so it tries to pass.