[nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Tue Feb 1 23:54:35 UTC 2011


Fine!  Rain on my parade with boring reality.  /grin/

I have to confess, I enjoy my silly little unrealistic image of whizzing
down the road (with a shiny red convertible model, naturally!) with my
poodle in her doggles riding shotgun while we boogie to music on the radio.

You know how I was talking earlier about adults who don't grow up?  I hope I
did not mistakenly imply that I am not one of them.  /lol/

It will be interesting to see how the technology comes along to support the
car itself, though.  Seems to me, just at a glance, that there would be
benefits to more than just us blind people who want to drive.  There could
be benefits in terms of lessening of traffic congestion (yeah, I dream),
improved traffic safety, improved pedestrian safety...  Which would improve
life for this blind person who sometimes just wants to walk a mile up to the
store for fun but has to consider the safety factors seven ways from Sunday,
consult the time of day, weather, horosocope...  Then wonder if it's worth
being lectured by walking beside a killer road (roads don't kill people;
idiot drivers kill people; often, on this road), etc.  We will not talk
about trying to cross the road.

So maybe the car blind people can drive would also be a car idiots can drive
safely?  Or if the car tells them there's a pedestrian crossing the street,
will they still drive right over it and ignore the thump?  /evil grin/

I did hear on the news just last week about an up and coming technology that
will allow drivers to join a caravan electronically and leave the driving to
the lead vehicle while you read a good book, the reporter pointed out
seriously.  Then, of course, the anchors had fun by listing all the things
drivers really do in their cars while their driving:  text, read the funny
pages, do the crossword, put on mascara, drink coffee from one hand and eat
a donut from the other.... They didn't include changing the baby's diaper on
the way to daycare, but I have seen that done.  

Hm...  So I wonder if the cars of the Blind Driver challenge would help at
all with the idiot driver challenge?  Now that I've thought about it, I may
never the cross the street again, though.  I've given myself a case of the
wild willies for sure!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Buddy Brannan
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 1:24 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention

No, there's no strip in the road. Speed strips" are vibraing things that are
in a cushion under the driver's legs and up his back. These give information
about whether he can speed up or slow down. The files on blindbargains.com
are fantastic. BTW, I doubt that any blind people will drive the car on the
open road. Putting aside the whole issue of not having driver's licenses and
not being insured, I really don't think that the technology is quite ready
for real world use. Probably won't be for some time yet. And count on legal
hurdles and red tape beyond that before we can actually have a car that we
can drive, and never mind the cost of having such a car modded. Think a van
with a wheelchair lift is expensive? I'd bet this will be more. 
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On Feb 1, 2011, at 3:23 PM, cheryl echevarria wrote:

> neither did I.
> 
> The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services! 
> 
> Cheryl Echevarria 
> http://www.Echevarriatravel.com<http://www.echevarriatravel.com/> 
> 1-866-580-5574 or 631-456-5394
>
reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:reservations at echevarriatravel.com>
> 
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel
CST-1018299-10
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel
Inc.
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Albert J Rizzi<mailto:albert at myblindspot.org> 
>  To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users'<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
>  Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:18 PM
>  Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention
> 
> 
>  I did not hear anything  about needing a strip on the road  or anything
like
>  that to tell you the truth. 
> 
>  Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>  Founder
>  My Blind Spot, Inc.
>  90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>  New York, New York  10004
>  www.myblindspot.org<http://www.myblindspot.org/>
>  PH: 917-553-0347
>  Fax: 212-858-5759
>  "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who
is
>  doing it."
> 
> 
>  Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
> 
> 
> 
>  -----Original Message-----
>  From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org>
[mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>  Of Cindy Ray
>  Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 3:13 PM
>  To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>  Subject: Re: [nagdu] Blind-Drivable Car at Convention
> 
>  There are probably plenty of software issues to iron out. Also, as I
>  understand it, mostly the car has to drive on a strip that heops with the
>  sensors, but I could be wrong. Blind Bargains has a podcast of the drive,
>  complete with the crowd there, race announcers, and all, and a press
>  conference. I think it is blindbargains.com though it could be .org.
> 
> 
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