Ready For CarTorrent.....?

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

Why can't people just drive their cars when they are in their cars. ... I dont do anything while driving except pay attention to the road. now THAT helps prevent accidents and traffic.

i'm all for that sort of logic... but with busy life-styles there are certain life needs that people often fail to fit in before they dash out the door. Think of all those poor breakfasts and blowjobs that would be lost forever were it not for people multi-tasking behind the wheel.

Licenses should probably also be graduated, based on GVW and horsepower.

see... that's a really interesting point that I had never considered before. Actually licensing people based on types of vehicle and not just driving conditions or time of day. Naturally, it's hard to make enforcement anything more than a secondary offense (imagine the outcry over "that officer pulled me over for looking too young") but I like the concept.

I've read that other nations (Germany comes to mind, but i may be confusing them with somewhere else) have a much more rigorous process like what you describe. It takes a lot of training time and is a considerable cost. If a student fails to pass their driver's exam (which is much harder than our mere questions and short road test) they are out a considerable chunk of money and have to wait and try again later.

[Thorn]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

Thorn, the key thing I got from your post was that to get better drivers, there should be more practice, with a mentor that can provide insight into what should have been done.

That's a good summary.

I have seen some kids in their cars know how to handle a car better than some officers, especially when it comes to sharp turns, and when their cars are skidding. It all comes down to practice.

I wouldn't doubt it. Besides, some departments are skimpy on the budgets, and youthful reaction and natural talent enters into the equation, too. However, I would say given a choice between riding in a high-speed situation with a trained older cop, and a talented but untrained kid, I'll choose the cop, merely because of edge given by the training.

[0x58]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

Thorn, the key thing I got from your post was that to get better drivers, there should be more practice, with a mentor that can provide insight into what should have been done.

I have seen some kids in their cars know how to handle a car better than some officers, especially when it comes to sharp turns, and when their cars are skidding. It all comes down to practice.

[xor]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

I've also seen fresh skid marks through some one's yard, through the mail box, a light pole, and a tree, on a straight dry road. It stopped at a really messed up car in the driveway. The speed limit was supposed to be 35, that person should never drive again.

That's called a strike in mailbox baseball.

xor

[barry99705]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

A huge part of the problem is that people aren't trained in the use of the emergency brake, and never remember that it's there. They are told that it is the "parking brake" and rarely use it even for that.

I've got mixed feeling on this. First, people can learn to drive while using a two-radio, at twice the speed of normal traffic, maintain control and do it (somewhat) safely. Street cops do this all the time. However, it takes extensive training in driving, especially in learning to actually control the vehicle and learning to control it under abnormal conditions.

On the other hand, when I was a street cop, I investigated too many accidents where people would crash just playing with the AM/FM radio buttons.

The real problem is that "Drivers' Ed" as such, produces mediocre drivers who can drive in full sunlight under normal traffic conditions under 40 MPH. They can probably parallel park given 30 extra feet, can barely merge into high speed traffic and may recognize a stop sign two out of three times. They certainly don't know how to handle emergencies and have no idea how their vehicle will react under emergency conditions.

Here's an interesting (and self-contradictory) statistic: Something like 80-90% of drivers consider themselves to be "above average."

They should learn how to drive in Alaska, or maybe Maine. Somewhere that's icy half the year. I never took driver's ed. I didn't get my license until I was around 21. My boss at the time threatened me with an article 15 if I didn't get it. My wife taught me how to drive, though I really already had a pretty good understanding of it, just never really wanted to get one. I do have to say, the drivers here in Ohio scare me way more than the people from Florida on the roads in Alaska in the winter. At least there they had an excuse why they went off the road. I've seen people go off the road here with a lite drizzle. What the hell's with that??!! I've also seen fresh skid marks through some one's yard, through the mail box, a light pole, and a tree, on a straight dry road. It stopped at a really messed up car in the driveway. The speed limit was supposed to be 35, that person should never drive again.

[xor]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

For some reason people have been a little unnerved when they ride with me when I'm on the phone. Since I'm 'right eared' I hold the phone with my right hand and shift with my left. Makes for strange looks from passengers when they see it the first time.

The only time I've had to shift like that is when I had my right shoulder in a sling after separating it while surfing in November off of Long Beach Island NJ. 10 foot board, leash(yeah I know DUH) got knocked off and when I came up I found the board parallel to and in between me and the about to break waves.

At that moment I finally and truly understood what Archimedes was talking about when he stated 2200 years ago “Give me a place to stand and with a lever I will move the whole world.” Ouchy.

xor

[streaker69]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

Yes when the timing belt brakes in the middle of no where, very disconcerting.

Awww, you guys aren't any fun at all. Text messaging, e-mailing, reading a book or the paper, eating, putting make up on(if you wear makeup not me) and talking on the phone while driving all good sport. :-) In fact these events should be added to the Olympic games this summer. :-)

xor

We could call it the Twit Olympics

for those too young to understand

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6Tb66s-toU0&feature=related

For some reason people have been a little unnerved when they ride with me when I'm on the phone. Since I'm 'right eared' I hold the phone with my right hand and shift with my left. Makes for strange looks from passengers when they see it the first time.

[Thorn]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

As long as you're moving, power assisted steering isn't an issue. Brakes could be an issue, depending on the weather. I've never seen a car without an e-brake. I've had cars just die on my going down the highway. Friggen pos skylark, it's really not a big deal. Though it can come as a surprise if you don't know it's going to happen.

A huge part of the problem is that people aren't trained in the use of the emergency brake, and never remember that it's there. They are told that it is the "parking brake" and rarely use it even for that.

Seconded!! I will only answer the phone in the car for my wife. That's only because she's been having medical problems lately.

I've got mixed feeling on this. First, people can learn to drive while using a two-radio, at twice the speed of normal traffic, maintain control and do it (somewhat) safely. Street cops do this all the time. However, it takes extensive training in driving, especially in learning to actually control the vehicle and learning to control it under abnormal conditions.

On the other hand, when I was a street cop, I investigated too many accidents where people would crash just playing with the AM/FM radio buttons.

The real problem is that "Drivers' Ed" as such, produces mediocre drivers who can drive in full sunlight under normal traffic conditions under 40 MPH. They can probably parallel park given 30 extra feet, can barely merge into high speed traffic and may recognize a stop sign two out of three times. They certainly don't know how to handle emergencies and have no idea how their vehicle will react under emergency conditions.

Frankly, my blood pressure goes up whenever I see hand wringing from MADD or TV ads like Allstate's bitching about teen driving deaths, because that's all it is: hand wringing. If society really took driving seriously, the solution would be quick and relatively simple. Training would be more much extensive - like around 200 hours with 120 hours of that being on a skid pad - the license testing would be a lot tougher. There would be zero tolerance for alcohol or other drug use (including legal drugs stronger than aspirin) while driving, and distractions like MP3 players, radios, cell phones wouldn't be allowed until you could prove you could handle them. Licenses should probably also be graduated, based on GVW and horsepower. States are finally starting to do this with restricted licensing for teens, but they need to do it for everyone. Part of this issue is that people want to believe that something that is quite complex is simple, and it is not.

Here's an interesting (and self-contradictory) statistic: Something like 80-90% of drivers consider themselves to be "above average."

[xor]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

As long as you're moving, power assisted steering isn't an issue. Brakes could be an issue, depending on the weather. I've never seen a car without an e-brake. I've had cars just die on my going down the highway. Friggen pos skylark, it's really not a big deal. Though it can come as a surprise if you don't know it's going to happen.



Seconded!! I will only answer the phone in the car for my wife. That's only because she's been having medical problems lately.

Yes when the timing belt brakes in the middle of no where, very disconcerting.

Awww, you guys aren't any fun at all. Text messaging, e-mailing, reading a book or the paper, eating, putting make up on(if you wear makeup not me) and talking on the phone while driving all good sport. :-) In fact these events should be added to the Olympic games this summer. :-)

xor

We could call it the Twit Olympics

for those too young to understand

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6Tb66s-toU0&feature=related

[barry99705]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

Even totally disregarding the numerous privacy and personal issues this type of system could run a sword through, the total and complete anarchy that could be created is just far to tempting to ignore.

"By far the most essential aspect of this network, though, is that it is not subject to memory, processing, storage and energy limitations like traditional sensor networks. Instead, it relies on the resources of the vehicle itself, along with those vehicles around it."

And just how tightly do they propose to integrate with the vehicle?

-Well, that guy didn't indicate, I think I'll just shut his engine down...

55mph and all of a sudden your engine shuts down, you have no power assisted steering, no power assisted brakes, and you're rapidly approaching a traffic jam?

As long as you're moving, power assisted steering isn't an issue. Brakes could be an issue, depending on the weather. I've never seen a car without an e-brake. I've had cars just die on my going down the highway. Friggen pos skylark, it's really not a big deal. Though it can come as a surprise if you don't know it's going to happen.

Why can't people just drive their cars when they are in their cars. Other than having the radio on (and not loud for that matter), I dont do anything while driving except pay attention to the road. now THAT helps prevent accidents and traffic..

Seconded!! I will only answer the phone in the car for my wife. That's only because she's been having medical problems lately.

[noid]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

Why can't people just drive their cars when they are in their cars. Other than having the radio on (and not loud for that matter), I dont do anything while driving except pay attention to the road. now THAT helps prevent accidents and traffic..

[HANNAHHACKER]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

Hmm, a system like that would not be reliable enough.

It intends to let the users obtain/download data through a network which is created by other nearby vehicles. What about those poor lorry drivers that go alone on the empty motorways at early hours in the morning? They won't be able to receive anything, will they?

Another consideration that comes to my mind is the fact that this new system claims it wants to prevent "accidents and traffic jams", surely downloading multimedia content (like funny clips from youtube for example) would cause the driver to get even more distracted hence increasing the chance of an accident ocurring? I dont see any safety improvement at all.

[Lowie]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...ent.technology

Will they ever learn. Can you imagine the security nightmare this represents.

Even totally disregarding the numerous privacy and personal issues this type of system could run a sword through, the total and complete anarchy that could be created is just far to tempting to ignore.

"By far the most essential aspect of this network, though, is that it is not subject to memory, processing, storage and energy limitations like traditional sensor networks. Instead, it relies on the resources of the vehicle itself, along with those vehicles around it."

And just how tightly do they propose to integrate with the vehicle?

-Well, that guy didn't indicate, I think I'll just shut his engine down...

55mph and all of a sudden your engine shuts down, you have no power assisted steering, no power assisted brakes, and you're rapidly approaching a traffic jam?

[barry99705]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...ent.technology

Will they ever learn. Can you imagine the security nightmare this represents. We are so consumed by what we can do with technology that we never consider if we should.


xor

Looks like GPS TRS will and could end up being the defacto blackbox for your car with companies selling your driving habits to insurance companies so that they can charge you appropriately. Which would include mileage, & speeding infractions.

Oh, I'm sure someone would figure a hack that would keep it looking like you never go over the posted speed limit.

[Thorn]

Re: Ready For CarTorrent.....?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...ent.technology

Will they ever learn. Can you imagine the security nightmare this represents. We are so consumed by what we can do with technology that we never consider if we should.


xor

Looks like GPS TRS will and could end up being the defacto blackbox for your car with companies selling your driving habits to insurance companies so that they can charge you appropriately. Which would include mileage, & speeding infractions.

Read Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow.