There's a GMC truck ad running now on television

[MineralMan]

that shows satisfied drivers with their hands off the wheel, letting the truck drive itself.

I hadn't heard that we're ready for that yet. Seems irresponsible to me.

But, maybe GMC knows something I don't.

Here's the ad:

[Jim__]

1. It does say: Available for compatible roads.

So maybe the roads also have to have some embedded technology.

[MineralMan]

2. Does the vehicle know which roads are compatible?

Does the driver?

Are there, in fact, any such roads?

[Jim__]

11. Some info from GMC

From GMC:

DRIVING CONSIDERATIONS

Make sure that:

- The vehicle is on a compatible road
- Lane markings are clearly visible (lane markings may be obscured, for example, by glare or poor weather conditions)
- Camera or radar sensors are not covered, obstructed or damaged
- The Driver Attention Camera system detects that the driver is paying attention to the road ahead

[MineralMan]

14. Yeah, OK. But, see, most people don't read instructions,

and wouldn't follow them if they did read them. It's not the words, it's the depiction of a driver clapping and singing along while the car barrels down the highway. That's the idea GMC is selling, not safety or the technology.

"Here. Hold muh beer and watch this. I ain't driving this rig...it drives its own self."

[2naSalit]

33. +1

[Buns_of_Fire]

31. In other words, "this works so long as the driver is driving." nt

[Jim__]

34. Actually, it would work fine for me when I am driving a long distance alone in my car.

I take a few trips each where I drive 1,000 miles or more and I am alone in my car. I usually place stuff I will need to access while I'm driving on the passenger seat and then, when I have to access something, I drive with one-hand while I get it from the passenger seat. A lot of interstates have intervals with a speed limit of 75 mph - and driving with one-hand is less than ideal. I've often thought it would be safer to have some type of hands-free cruise control for while I reached across to the passenger seat. This type of cruise control sounds like it would satisfy this need.

[Genki Hikari]

36. And how do we know

If any of that will make it safe to take your hands off the wheel, especially this part:

Camera or radar sensors are not covered, obstructed or damaged

First of all, the road people need to KNOW the equipment is uncovered, free of obstruction or undamaged. They hardly ever know it in a timely manner--if they ever do.

Second, the road people need to WARN people if they do know of such problems, and they're not always super-prone to doing that. Or do it in a way that warns people not to rely on the "self-driving" system.

I don't trust any state's transit people to stay on top of any of that in an adequate manner.

That's why I have my own version of self-driving called driving my own dang self. I plan to keep using it, thanks very much.

[Jim__]

37. According to the description at the cited GMC website, your instrument panel tells you.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

3. Using Queen's WE WILL ROCK YOU.

As I opined, the musical contributions of this amazing band is relevant today.

[MineralMan]

7. Well, if the typical big-ass pickup driver

takes his hands off the wheel for a while, "We Will Kill You" might be a better song title.

[CentralMass]

4. What could possibly go wrong ?

[Aristus]

5. ALPHA DOGS DON'T STEER!

I'm hearing Robert Duvall's voice right now...

[Whiskeytide]

6. This is pretty dangerous technology that, for ...

… the life of me, I cannot understand the necessity or purpose. Why do car mfrs think we’re too busy, distracted or sleepy to steer?

[inthewind21]

8. It's not exactly

the truck driving it's self. Its driver assistance.

https://www.gmc.com/gmc-life/trucks/sierra-gets-super-cruise-hands-free-driver-assistance

P.S The Sierra is also going EV.

https://www.gmc.com/future-vehicles/sierra-ev-denali?ppc=GOOGLE_700000002674081_71700000101615896_58700008124540365_p73834549121&d_src=313715&d_adsrc=3876784&d_campaign=71700000101615896&d_site=GOOGLE&d_adgroup=58700008124540365&d_keyword=sierra%20ev%20truck&gclick=CjwKCAiA2fmdBhBpEiwA4CcHzXE3lgwMXOw7E8oTYlDls6TUyRd_DZBW-xyliFiXzaD8rTOUCY09QRoCaQgQAvD_BwE&gclid=CjwKCAiA2fmdBhBpEiwA4CcHzXE3lgwMXOw7E8oTYlDls6TUyRd_DZBW-xyliFiXzaD8rTOUCY09QRoCaQgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Also available on Cadillac.
https://www.cadillac.com/world-of-cadillac/innovation/super-cruise

Lincoln
https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/12/ford-lincoln-to-offer-hands-free-highway-driving/

Brought to you by onstar
https://www.onstar.com/services/super-cruise-hands-free-driving

[MineralMan]

10. Yabbut the content of the ad shows the driver

ending his attention to the road, clapping his hands, and lip-synching to the music.

The ad is not accurate, apparently, but not all drivers are smart enough to know that, I'm guessing.

[inthewind21]

17. Actually

Everyone in the ad is looking straight ahead. Clapping, singing yes, but they are all looking dead ahead.

[MineralMan]

19. There's a longer version of that ad, too. Watch it.

[Caliman73]

29. Since when has advertising been accurate?

I have opened many a "Bud Light" and have not once had a party with scantily clad women and "cool guys" materialize in front of my eyes, with all of them paying me attention.

The whole modern advertising industry is built on deception and pushing emotional buttons to inspire cravings.

[LuckyCharms]

9. I don't think that I'll ever be ready

to drive hands free. I'd be too nervous.

I like having control of my own destiny. Relying on software that can glitch scares the heck out of me, when it comes to travelling in a vehicle.

So many different things can happen while driving, I would worry that the software would misinterpret the situation and react in an unfavorable way.

[MineralMan]

12. Yeah, I'm with you.

I'll go further though, and say that I'm not ready to be on the road with other vehicles that have nobody driving them. Nope. It's bad enough with some drivers when they are driving.

[LuckyCharms]

15. Agree 100%. n/t

[dsc]

13. My Kia steers itself for short amounts of time if I turn that on

I use it to allow myself to adjust my back pillow or to pour my soda. After a few minutes my car will tell me to put my hands back on the wheel if I haven't done so. It does work well though.

[MineralMan]

16. I also drive a KIA, but I opted for a trim that doesn't have

that system. It would just be one more thing to turn off when I drive.

[DVRacer]

28. Yup

My Hyundai Veloster has it as well and it’s pretty good. Not take my hands away and read a book but helps when on long stretches of interstate highways.

[Model35mech]

18. Have you -EVER- known a computer not to crash?

I would assume that the redundancy in these things is only 2 steps deep on each feature so the failure rate will be not zero but the joint probability of failure of primary and back up for each feature.

That could be statistically speaking pretty small. But maybe smallness doesn't matter.

One of the wife's old college friends is hooked up with an old white guy who has been at the software development of these things for decades. He's an absolute fanatic for these things (and a demented nearly 80 year old Trumper, Norwegian here for 2 generations on a green card) and dismisses every failure with statements like but it's only a FEW!!! vehicles that will fail.

As I said to him at T-giving: I doubt that that will matter when this project delivers to your family dead babies, siblings, parents etc.

[CentralMass]

20. No and software algorithms have to tested and validated and that process is usually iterive.

[MineralMan]

22. Nope.

They all have bugs, and so will these autonomous vehicles.

Of course, so do humans, but...I don't want to compete with self-driving vehicles on the same road I'm on. Nope.

[Disaffected]

26. As you point out,

human drivers also have bugs and the basic question therefore is, which is the safest system (human drivers or computer)?

As of now, I would guess it's pretty close to a draw providing the computer driven vehicles are confined to good driving conditions including well marked roads and good weather (I'd be v interested if anyone has recent stats on that?).

However, we are far from the case where computer drivers will be better or equal to humans in inclement weather and/or poorly defined roads especially in unusual situations such as construction or accident zones (exaggerated Elon Musk claims notwithstanding).

Whether or not we will eventually get there remains IMO a very open question. Some things I wonder about in particular with Tesla efforts are their apparent goal of reaching that point using hardware and sensors that are installed in existing Tesla vehicles. Musk thinks for example that the only sensors required are optical range cameras (no radar or LIDAR for instance) and, the computers in existing Teslas will have sufficient power to handle the software that they develop in future. Additionally, he seems to think that the system will work on all roads i.e. no road specific data would have to be stored in the computer. That IMO is a very difficult goal...

[Scrivener7]

21. Glad I live in a walking town.

[MineralMan]

23. I hear you on that one.

[Initech]

24. Meanwhile in Pasadena, a Tesla crashed into a pool.

No doubt they'll find the self driving tech was responsible. What could possibly go wrong?

[ironflange]

27. Would that be like dropping a hair dryer in the bathtub?

[Initech]

30. I'm seriously surprised no one died in the incident.

[Xoan]

25. Idiocracy is Real!

[Buns_of_Fire]

32. Steering wheel? We don't need no stinkin' steering wheels! nt

[Hortensis]

35. Remember reading that when cars first became legal in a big city

the speed limit was about 2 mph and drivers were required to have someone walk ahead waving a red flag. Not frightening horses was a big concern.

That didn't last very long at all, btw. Nor did the horses.

[dembotoz]

38. so if it crashes does gmc get the ticket or you?

also wondering about the insurance claim

those folks are so kind and understanding...lol do i need the sarcasm thingy?