[Blindtlk] To Drive or not to Drive: that is the question

Thu May 5 18:15:49 UTC 2011

Dear All,

If you could drive, would not more opportunities for work, education and 
social contact be available to you?
would not many of your day to day issues be easier, fun and allow you more 
time to do the things you want and need to do?  Would this not maybe have a 
positive effect on your ability to earn more and have a higher income than 
you do right now?
Something to also remember is that things , as they are right now,today, 
will change and a whole new prospective will be the norm.

Technology is moving at a ever increasing rate.  Faster than most people 
realize and can keep track of.
The blind Driver Challenge was not just an exercise to show that a Blind man 
can drive a car.  It was to stimulate the research into new non-visual 
interfaces and methods that , one will have valuable spin offs for the Blind 
and to demonstrate to the Public that Blind People are capable of much more 
things than they might realize.
If a blind man can drive a car, maybe he can fly a plane?  Maybe he can be a 
doctor or a surgeon.  Maybe he or she could be many of the other things or 
professionals that most common people believe that we are not skillful, 
smart enough or suitable for?
The truth is that , even though the Blind Driver Challenge showed that a 
Blind man can drive a car, it will likely not be the car we see in the 
future.
As for the Public not allowing us to drive a car, in the future; it will 
happen and here is why.
GM already has 5 proto type vehicles that are capable of driving all by them 
selves, without a human behind the wheel.
You may have read about the cars that Google has been testing , on the 
streets and highways of both northern and southern California.
They have been laying the ground work for the next generation of autonomist 
cars and vehicles.
These vehicles will be able to navigate over paved and unpaved roads and 
streets as well as super highways and even across open country terrain.
They will be able to communicate with all other cars around them, wirelessly 
and will follow strict rules of traffic and the road as they do so.  No 
speeding, no dangerous lane changing or running of stop lights.
They in a word will be safer than the cars we have on the road today, 
because the humans in them will be telling them where to go, but the vehicle 
will control how they get there.
Computers follow rules, people don't.
Children will be able to drive the cars of the future, if the parents unlock 
the cars controls for them to use the car.
The laws that govern the way we drive and who can and can not drive will 
follow different rules than they do today.  They will have to change because 
the technology will cause them to be changed.

The military has a mandate to have 33% of all of it's vehicles autonomist by 
the year 2015.  The Government will bear the R and D cost of developing 
these vehicles, but we will be the ones that will benefit from all of this 
technology in the near future.
There will not be a question as to if a Blind person can drive because 
anyone who can work the access device that tells the car where they want to 
go will be able to drive, likely without a license, but by just having the 
car registered and tagged.
The fact of the matter is that I have heard a rumor that the Disney 
engineers are working up a new ride for the future that will show off this 
kind of technology in a future ride in EPCOT.

David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
Members of the NFB Cars Division
Builder of the Lunar Rover and the F-117 Stealth Fighter.
P.S.  If you come to the National Convention this year in Orlando, visit the 
Mission Space ride in EPCOT.
One of the spare Lunar Rovers is hanging there, over the maze, on loan from 
the Smithsonian.
 ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "nikki Wunderlich" <nikki0222 at gmail.com>
To: "'Blind Talk Mailing List'" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2011 12:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] To Drive or not to Drive: that is the question

>I agree with you  totally
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Robert A. Hansen
> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2011 8:50 AM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] To Drive or not to Drive: that is the question
>
> I thought about the possibility of driving but now I would not even
> consider it.  Firstly, foscile fuels are very expensive.  Gas will be
> well over $5 this summer and they are not going down.  I filled my
> roommate's tank last saturday and her 99 Saturn cost me $50.  That is a
> real hit in the pants.  Secondly I like to keep my "carbon footprint" to
> a minimum.  This also means not driving.  Thirdly, I do not trust the
> technology.  I don't care how good it is.  I do not want some beeping
> vibrating gps whatever and worrying about it failing.  Technology does
> fail and the last thing I want to worry about is causing a major road
> accidnet over something as trivial as driving.  Also the car would not
> be the expensive part of this deal, it would be all of the on board gear
> required for this new venture.  One important thing and there are many
> more, is auto insurance.  Folks, you need to be aware of this one.  If
> you were to be allowed to pursue driving because you are a blind person,
> you aren't going to get the $250 safe driver rate GEICO gives.  You are
> going to have to come to some hard realities about this one.  The blind
> driver "challenge is relatively unproven and only happened on a
> racetrack for a half hour.  I don't care how hard the legal beagles at
> the National Office lobby, you are entering into something that will
> cost a boatload of money and there will be liabilities you will have to
> endeer.  NFB philosopphy or not, reality is reality.  Frankly, I have
> better uses for my money than wasting it on driving.  Anyway we need to
> get more cars off the road and get the public back on the buses and 
> trains.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Robert A. Hansen
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 4/29/2011 4:24 PM, Constance Canode wrote:
>> I would love to drive, but somehow taking out a second, third and
>> fourth mortgage on my house to be able to afford the car that will
>> obviously cost more than the average car isn't feasible.  Sad but
>> true, I would imagine that many of us, even if this happens in our
>> lifetimes, will not be able to afford the cars.
>>
>> At 12:30 PM 4/29/2011, you wrote:
>>> I have heard from many, blind and sighted alike that the blind  being
>>> able to drive will be  looked  upon as  something  absolutely iconic
>>> and life-changing.  Assuming  that this opinion is in fact widely
>>> believed,  what do you think this means for us as blind people now?
>>> Also what does it mean, if we never do  drive? Is this to say that our
>>> lives  are not full?  Not complete?  And will never be?
>>>  I'm curious as to your thoughts  on this.
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
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>
> -- 
> The best news sources out there are: www.infowars.com
> www.democracynow.org www.fsrn.org www.rense.com and so many more
> independent sites. Turn OFF the hate mongering FoxNews garbage.
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