Every wonder how long it will take a traffic light to change?

[TechMan]

Well stop wondering, Audi has come up the the solution and it is called Traffic Light Assist.  It integrates into a city's traffic signal system and monitors the light change data. Audi demonstrated this at CES 2014, in Las Vegas.  They admit it will take some time for them to reach out to all the cities and get access to the traffic light data.


So, who sees a problem here?

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/01/10/audis-traffic-light-assist-tells-how-long-until-signal-goes-green/?intcmp=features

[AJ Dual]

A big IR LED strobe on your bumper in some cities, and it changes right away... 

[MechAg94]

Be very careful either trying to run a yellow light or go quickly on a green.  As soon as the light changes, you will have people flying through the intersection having timed it.  Or people gassing it to reach the light before it changes. 

Of course, that assumes the timing is correct.  I can see problems come up with the timing is right 99 times out of 100, but that 1 time, a car hits the intersection at the wrong time.

[Fly320s]

A big IR LED strobe on your bumper in some cities, and it changes right away... 

Just hope there is no traffic camera nearby to catch you.

[brimic]

Be very careful either trying to run a yellow light or go quickly on a green.  As soon as the light changes, you will have people flying through the intersection having timed it.  Or people gassing it to reach the light before it changes. 

Or some ghetto trash running through 30 mph over the speed limit 3 seconds after thier light went red- as was the case where I almost got killed a few weeks back.

[TechMan]

Or some ghetto trash running through 30 mph over the speed limit 3 seconds after thier light went red- as was the case where I almost got killed a few weeks back.

Yikes 

[MechAg94]

One positive comment on this is that it is one step closer to automated driving systems. 

Question:  Would potential unreliability of automated driving systems be more of a hazard than the normal drivers we have now?

[Nick1911]

One positive comment on this is that it is one step closer to automated driving systems. 

Are automated driving systems a positive thing?

[makattak]

Are automated driving systems a positive thing?

It is to me. So long as it is as safe as the current road conditions, (my bet is it can become safer) why wouldn't people want robotic chauffeurs?

Long trips become a pleasure. Sit back, watch a movie with your family and find yourself at your destination. Put in requests to pull over at the next restaurant of (X) type.

There are, of course, dangers, but there are already dangers on the road.

[TechMan]

It is to me. So long as it is as safe as the current road conditions, (my bet is it can become safer) why wouldn't people want robotic chauffeurs?

Long trips become a pleasure. Sit back, watch a movie with your family and find yourself at your destination. Put in requests to pull over at the next restaurant of (X) type.

There are, of course, dangers, but there are already dangers on the road.

You too could be the next Hillary Clinton. 

[KD5NRH]

It is to me. So long as it is as safe as the current road conditions, (my bet is it can become safer) why wouldn't people want robotic chauffeurs?

Because I've seen how stupid various nav apps can get.  I really don't want to see what happens without any "human filter" on its decisions.

[Nick1911]

It is to me. So long as it is as safe as the current road conditions, (my bet is it can become safer) why wouldn't people want robotic chauffeurs?

I wouldn't want it because it's a system of control over my freedom of movement.

[Tallpine]

How many onboard computers does it take to change a traffic light?

[makattak]

I wouldn't want it because it's a system of control over my freedom of movement.

Only if it cannot be disabled.

You don't want an option of a self-driving car?

[AJ Dual]

How many onboard computers does it take to change a traffic light?

Almost none really. Unless you count a standard IE555 timer and 8 other components as a "computer".

http://pursuingnothing.com/documents/2005/I-Hacked_com%20Taking%20Advantage%20Of%20Technology%20-%20DIrtY%20MIRT%20(Do%20It%20Yourself%20Mobile%20Infra%20Red%20Transmitter).htm

[brimic]

One positive comment on this is that it is one step closer to automated driving systems. 

I would absolutely embrace that technology for commuting in urban areas if it can negate that handful of accidents* a week that cost 100,000 or more people in an area 10-60 minutes of their time for each occurance. The other part of this technology may decrease traffic jams due to people slowing on curves or due to sun glare, etc.

*Most of the accidents I see are rear-endings where likely someone wasn't paying attention (cell phone).

[French G.]

I wouldn't want it because it's a system of control over my freedom of movement.

Well there's that, expanding upon if the car knows where to go and how to get there it is necessarily broadcasting this. I won't have onstar, sure not going for anything worse.

I don't need this, I just know which intersections I can see the left turn arrow or a reflection of such and use that as a staging light.

[KD5NRH]

I would absolutely embrace that technology for commuting in urban areas if it can negate that handful of accidents* a week that cost 100,000 or more people in an area 10-60 minutes of their time for each occurance. The other part of this technology may decrease traffic jams due to people slowing on curves or due to sun glare, etc.

Maybe there's a possibility here; a license endorsement for manual control in auto-drive areas.  That way, cities can provide whatever infrastructure and accurate maps are necessary, and then require automatic control for any vehicle so equipped and not driven by an advanced driver.  Mapping still sucks bad enough in some places that a lot of rural roads will have to be manually driven for a long time, but people who can prove they're better than the average idiot with a DL, (I'm thinking pilot's license level training and testing here) could have the option of never putting their lives in the computer's hands, while the run-of-the-mill dummy doesn't get a choice.

Of course, the difficulty of retrofitting cars would mean that it would have to be phased in over a couple of decades anyway, with those of us who want to stick with "classics" just having to get the special endorsement at the final changeover.

[BryanP]

Obligatory XKCD

[brimic]

Obligatory XKCD

Reminds me of two civil engineer dads that both work for the county in my son's cup scout den- they argue incessently about roundabouts, one loves them, one hates them. 

[Tallpine]

Reminds me of two civil engineer dads that both work for the county in my son's cup scout den- they argue incessently about roundabouts, one loves them, one hates them. 

Good idea if the diameter is large enough.

The new one in front of our airport is ridiculous.  It is only about a (small) car's length between each ingress/egress.  You almost run into yourself going around.

[Fly320s]

Traffic circles are good!  The light is bad.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Only if it cannot be disabled.

You don't want an option of a self-driving car?

Oh, in terms of daily life, I freeking love it. That would be an extra ten minutes in bed every morning, because I would be able to eat in the car.

Unfortunatly, the Big Brother aspect makes me say no. It's the same reason Onstar is potentially evil. Someone who is not you has the ultimate control, and that someone who is not you is very likely to be the government.
At first it's all sleeping late and perusing APS on your morning commute, and next thing you know, the government has yet one more method to control the general population. Want to take a political prisoner? Just have his car drive him to the prison. Civil unrest? Enact a curfew and shut down all the cars.
We don't trust our government with our cell phone data, and you think we should trust them to respect our privacy and freedom of movement with our personal vehicals?

And, I doubt such a system could be disabled. I don't think technology can do this with each car independently slef driving. It would have to be a overriding system and the human element would have to be minimal or nonexistant.

[AJ Dual]

Traffic circles are good!  The light is bad.

I too like roundabouts.

I understand the objections to them, which are namely that all other drivers are inattentive idiots, but I like more Darwinistic solutions in public space that aren't predicated on the least common denominators among us. 

[brimic]

This is  close to my house- someone had a roundaboutgasm when they redid the road.

https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&q=Cabela's&fb=1&gl=us&hq=cabelas+richfield&cid=4107625942258610102&ei=AbnqUvT_BuexsQS4n4DoAw&ved=0CKsBEPwSMAo