How many jobs will be lost due to next gen cars, target date 2017?

[CK_John]

Driverless cars on target for production. Will put about 5mil cab drivers out of work.

We better get to work on reducing SocSec age to age 50.

USA link:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/04/28/google-driverless-cars/8409475/

[yeoman6987]

1. Perhaps lowering the Social Security to 50 might work

However, I am so excited about this because it has the potential to save many lives and also keep people "mobile" into their advanced age. So many people have had to "stay home" because they were too old to be able to handle the driving. I love this so much. I hope it just gets better and better for older drivers especially. I am 45 so have a ways to go but I see so many in their 70's losing their licenses and then not being able to do anything (at least spare of the moment). This could change the lives of so many people.

[uponit7771]

2. Not practical at all... the liability would be out of this world

[NYC Liberal]

5. It's practical if ALL cars are driverless.

As long as you still have people driving alongside the driverless cars, though, you're right.

[Jesus Malverde]

7. Liability is a legal concept.

Those concepts change in the face of money.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision has just given drug companies total liability protection for injuries and deaths caused by government mandated vaccines.

The federal vaccine injury compensation program is an example of how they will do it.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/22/betrayal-of-consumers-by-us-supreme-court-gives-total-liability-shield-to-big-pharma.aspx

[snooper2]

3. driverless cars LOL, you got about another 25-30 years before that takes hold

Just FYI

[Jesus Malverde]

6. You don't appreciate how fast technology is iterating.

In the absence of restrictions, the revolution is upon us.

Driverless cars are here today and on the road. Legal in some states. That they be rolled out on a mass scale is around the corner. There is huge incentive from business to make this so.

Driverless planes, freight transport and law enforcement presence are likely the first out the door.

[snooper2]

9. mkay LOL....

I set a reminder in my Outlook calendar for 10 years from today to repost this thread and ping you to see where we are-

Just like when I was in a conference six years ago and one specific phone manufacturer was saying how every other desk in the country would have a video phone on it in five years LOL. I've got video phones for testing in the lab, we have a small number of VoIP customers who have a couple video phones, is it widespread...um, no...

Actually, we find that most people (especially older business workers), prefer not to show their face when communicating. Is there currently a niche market, yes, is the next generation who is stuck to fucking facebook 24/7 going to be more amicable, probably-

We will both be dead before you see 50+ percent of the vehicles be "driverless". Most people will not give up that kind of control to a computer.



Besides, I would have to turn that shit off all the time every time I wanted to have some fun in my truck

[Jesus Malverde]

10. Having personally seen a driverless car in the wild.

I don't share your skepticism.

Its not going to be all cars, just certain cars that perform specific tasks. They will be on the road with you.

[Bjorn Against]

12. Driverless cars already exist

Google already has test models of driverless cars on the roads in California and Nevada and have already put hundreds of thousands of miles on them. The technology already exists and it works, it is now just a matter of mass producing the technology and adjusting our laws to account for driverless cars. We won't be waiting 25 years for a technology that already exists.

[Jesus Malverde]

4. Between Free Trade and the technological revolution

The american worker is screwed.

Social security for all will not help if there is no one putting money into the system.

At some point the bankers will see there are not enough people to service the debt and they will demand changes so the system continues.

Favelas coming to a town near you.

[rurallib]

8. Maybe not driverless cars, but I think we are close to real electric cars

Think of all the repair shops and various other accessory shops and engine booster products etc. that will no longer be needed once the internal combustion engine goes away.
We have no way of knowing how soon a viable electric car may be on the market, nor how quickly it will be adopted, but when it does there will be tons of auto repair shops looking for work.

No radiators
No tune-ups
No antifreeze
No gas-stations power up at home. (This could be huge)
Still need tires, windshields and wipers, radios (maybe use smart phones?)
No mufflers / exhaust systems

[GeorgeGist]

11. They're here.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evtech.shtml

[rurallib]

15. those still have the major drawbacks that are holding up EVs replacing

internal combustion
- short range
- long recharge times, often using special hookups
- the large battery pack is a problem of sorts. Tesla is just handling the problem by creating charing stations.

But - boy oh boy, I believe they are close.

[FarCenter]

13. Probably not ready for the Boston rotary yet

While the car knows to stop, just when to start again is still a challenge, partly because the cars are programmed to drive defensively. At a four-way stop, Google's cars have been known to wait in place as people driving in other directions edge out into the intersection — or roll through.

If they can't bluff other drivers at a 4-way stop, they are not ready for rotaries.

It's no coincidence that the guy that invented Ethernet's "carrier sense multiple access with collision detection" protocol had degrees from MIT and Harvard.

[PasadenaTrudy]

14. No fun...

I love to drive, I don't want lose one of the joys in my life...

signed,
A female driving enthusiast