[Nfbf-l] Driverless cars to hit UK roads in January 2015

[Alan Dicey]

Dear Friends,
Every time I read another article on this subject, I am glad, as the more 
companies that get started on this, what we might think of as something in 
the distant future, the more competition between companies to get one of 
those patents  that would be worth Billions of dollars, thus driving the 
competition to succeed more quickly!
And for we that remember when a Cell Phone weighed  2 pounds, and one needed 
a case with a strap to put over their shoulder to carry it, and the only 
thing it did was make Telephone Calls, (if it worked half the time), and now 
we have well, you know what we have, time flys by and Technology that might 
seem distant  has a way of being in front of us before we know it.
With Best Regards,
God Bless,
Alan
Plantation, Florida

Driverless cars to hit UK roads in January 2015
I know there are probably many blind people who are counting the days until 
this becomes legal in all fifty states.  I'm optimistic but cautiously so 
and I think that visually impaired folks shouldn't be banking on this any 
time in the very near future.  Still, this is, I admit, exciting news.  From 
CNet ..

Driverless cars to hit UK roads in January 2015
The UK government has approved trials of self-driving cars on public roads 
in January.
by Rich Trenholm user screen_name=rich_trenholm
@rich_trenholm
Driverless cars could be on UK roads by early next year.
Another country has given the green light to driverless cars. Autonomous 
automobiles could be on UK public roads as early as January 2015.
Driverless cars are cars equipped with GPS to guide them on their route, 
with cameras and sensors that make the vehicle aware of objects and other 
vehicles around it, allowing it to react to obstacles.
In California, driverless cars are already road-legal, led by Google's fleet 
of autonomous vehicles. Trials have been held in Japan, Singapore, Germany, 
and Sweden, where Volvo has a fleet of prototypes touring the streets.
Britain's Department for Transport has allowed self-driving cars on private 
roads, but not public roads until now. Today Business Secretary Vince Cable 
and Transport Minister Claire Perry announced trials in three cities in 
January and possible changes to the Highway Code that will allow 
self-driving cars on public streets.
The plan is to start with cars that can be driven by their occupants or 
switched to autonomous mode, as opposed to fully autonomous vehicles like 
the little Google cars that lack a steering wheel or pedals.
BABY YOU CAN DRIVE MY CAR
One of the things that has to be worked out before the public can take 
self-driving cars for a spin is the question of responsibility if something 
goes wrong. Is the owner of the car, or the manufacturer, or the other 
driver at fault in a crash? That's important, because it's certain to have 
an impact on how these cars are insured.
The UK Treasury has previously earmarked £10m to be awarded to a town or 
city to test driverless cars. Self-driving cars could also be developed 
alongside other autonomous and robotic vehicles at test sites proposed by 
the Technology Strategy Board.
Before we get too excited, the FBI has warned that autonomous cars could be 
more dangerous than existing cars, opening "more ways for a car to be more 
of a potential lethal weapon than it is today".
"Today's announcement takes us closer to seeing fully autonomous vehicles on 
our roads but it will take some time for them to become commonplace," Edmund 
King, president of breakdown repair service the AA, told CNET. "Many drivers 
are still resistant to change as 65 per cent [of AA members] enjoy driving 
too much to ever want the vehicle to take over from them."
King highlights recent advances that see newer cars add automated systems to 
help park your car, keep a safe distance from the car in front and even 
brake automatically in emergencies. But he believes that drivers must make 
"a big leap of faith by drivers from embracing assistance systems to 
accepting the fully automated car."
"Advanced technology could enhance the mobility of an ageing population," 
King adds. "Technology is not a prison. We must embrace technology as 
ultimately it will make our cars safer."
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