13 replies to this topic

[Still Waters]

Car giant Volvo is developing 'no death' cars that drive themselves and are impossible to crash – ready for launch in showrooms within eight years.

The computerised vehicles will  be fitted with high-tech sensors and will 'refuse to be steered' into other objects.

Volvo says they will be  on sale to customers by 2020, but that some of the life-saving technology will be incorporated into its vehicles even earlier – from 2014 – it says.

http://www.dailymail...oads-years.html

[OverSword]

Just like irobot!

[tipotep]

Im quite confident that a Volvo driver will be able to overide this little function ...

Quote

The computerised vehicles will  be fitted with high-tech sensors and will 'refuse to be steered' into other objects.

A crash proof Volvo - maybe , a crash proof Volvo driver - not likely

TiP.

[Hilander]

So if the cops want you all they have to do is get your car to drive you down to the police station.

[ExoPaul]

This will never fully happen for 3 very good reasons.....

1 - Volvo would sell loads of cars, then without them crashing, pranging or breaking they would run out of parts sales or people needing to replace their cars. Apart from the odd exhaust or set of tyres (most of which will last longer because of the car eco-driving to a standard they promote reliabiltiy) there is nothing much to need to change after initial purchase and cars will last owners a lot longer than currently.

2 - Police and council's will see a huge drop in revenue from speed camera's. And regardless of the amount of times they tell us it is purely a safety reason, the moment police/council budgets drop by 22% from the huge drop in wreckless speeders the quicker they will have to think of new ways to raise money from fairly innocent motorists.

3 - The insurance companies would HAVE to reduce premiums right down to about 20% of what they currently are as they are no longer having to risk-assess drivers. They simply will not do that as it will put many businesses out of action. 40 million cars on the road all needing insurance? Now take that same figure and wipe 80% off the figure paid in insurance premiums and you can see a huge multi-billion black hole as nobody needs to pay out for anything other than fire or theft!

Simply put, to produce crashless, driverless cars would cause the economy to lose huge, vast quantities of money out of the car manufacturer and parts trade, the speeding revenues and the insurance industry!

[Still Waters]

It's the people driving the cars they need to make 'crashproof'

[CuriousGreek]

Still Waters, on 06 December 2012 - 04:12 PM, said:

It's the people driving the cars they need to make 'crashproof'

That's so true. If the driver is incapable of driving properly, no car would be able to avoid crushes...

Edited by CuriousGreek, 06 December 2012 - 04:18 PM.

[FlyingAngel]

So if I intentionnally throw a ball or a banana on the ground, just in front of the car, how would it reacts?

Car crashes happen because other car hit your car from the side, not because it hit front side

[lone wolf2]

I hope people like paying dealer prices for repairs cause the most shops wont be able to repair the cars.   Just like the new tractor trailers out on the road today.  The computer needs the factory programs to let it know that a repair has ben made Before it will start again.

[highdesert50]

I saw a woman putting on make-up, eating, and talking on a cell phone while driving. I hope this innovation comes soon, very soon.

[-M7]

They should also develop a crash resistant car.

[nohands]

wow let's see what will be the product.....
zero fault means no challenge...hahaha

[King Fluffs]

Impossible to crash?

I'm very doubtful of that claim.

[Collateral Damage]

ExoPaul, on 06 December 2012 - 02:41 PM, said:

This will never fully happen for 3 very good reasons.....

1 - Volvo would sell loads of cars, then without them crashing, pranging or breaking they would run out of parts sales...

2 - Police and council's will see a huge drop in revenue from speed camera's...

3 - The insurance companies would HAVE to reduce premiums right down to about 20% of what they currently are as they are no longer having to risk-assess drivers...

Simply put, to produce crashless, driverless cars would cause the economy to lose huge, vast quantities of money out of the car manufacturer and parts trade, the speeding revenues and the insurance industry!

These are somewhat judicious reasons you have thought out, I'll give you that. Then again, it seems almost as if you are assuming because Volvo is in the processes of manufacturing a crashproof car, that the entire economy will take a libido in it, go out, and actually purchase one. IMO that seems unlikely to me; presumably a crashproof car won't be the cheapest of vehicles to purchase, especially considering the financial state that many are in.
All that aside, I do believe Volvo will succeed in developing such a luxury, and for those who can afford one, enjoy! (=