Will self driving cars need stop lights?

Or any lights for that matter? I was on a long trip. I was thinking about how great it would be to have a self driving car.
Maybe a full bed could be put in one.

Once we go full self driving cars, there would not be a need for stop signs, or lights or any signage.
There would not be a need for the vast majority of traffic police. We will not need toll booths. They might have them, but it will be all sent electronically.

Just imagine, the need for a self driving car to actually stop would be very low. They would communicate with other cars and somewhat dance around each other (at least that's how I envision it).

The speed!!! How fast will we go? 120 mph or more??? I imagine that cars will drive almost bumper to bumper in a steady stream.
How weird will that be. I imagine that people could commute much further.

I think about how much cars will change in the next 20 years and it is scary and exciting. This must have been what it felt like going from horses to cars!

Stoplights might not be needed when there are only self driving cars on the roads.

I wonder how long that’ll take ?

But I’ve got another question.

Will self driving cars need windshield wipers ?

originally posted by: JAGStorm
We will not need toll booths. They might have them, but it will be all sent electronically.

Those already exist, Massachusetts eliminated booths a few years ago and only has electronic tolling for all vehicles.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: JAGStorm
We will not need toll booths. They might have them, but it will be all sent electronically.

Those already exist, Massachusetts eliminated booths a few years ago and only has electronic tolling for all vehicles.

Yes,

They have had them for years in Eire, although those of us from Northern Ireland were er, um, shall I say slowwww in the realisation of them...

a reply to: JAGStorm

There will be stop lights and I bet there will be stop lights in the front.

The reason for this is peoples safety. You have no one to make eye contact and you can not be sure that the then almost silent electric noise of slowing down, is the AI letting you cross the street at a zebra strip.

The reason for the back brake light is that, I hope at least, cars will have an emergency break. Crashes can always happen. I do not want to crash into the car in front of me because physics. This is why I do not believe that cars will travel that more close to each other.

There's some evidence to support the idea that traffic lights, road markings, signage, and the of "right of way" were never necessary. www.cnn.com...

"It defines a public space where movement is subject to social protocol and informal regulation, not traffic rules." Monderman pioneered the idea in the Netherlands claiming if traffic rules are taken away, people behave more carefully.
Road signs, traffic signals, roundabouts, crossing points and curbs are done away with and replaced by flat, smooth roads without markings, on which cars and people interact regularly.

How the hell am i supposed to drag race with no stoplights!!!!!

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: JAGStorm
We will not need toll booths. They might have them, but it will be all sent electronically.

Those already exist, Massachusetts eliminated booths a few years ago and only has electronic tolling for all vehicles.

We've had those for like 20 years on all our tolled freeways over here. They call them e-tags, which is a little electronic devise you stick on your windscreen that scans you when you pass though a tolled road.

Frankly, I'm surprised that toll booths still exist... Although, now that I think about, you do see Tony passing though one on the Sopranos intro... does that toll booth seriously still exist?

As to the op, yes, self driving cars will always require both headlight & brake lights, for the sake of pedestrians.

originally posted by: Oleandra88
a reply to: JAGStorm

There will be stop lights and I bet there will be stop lights in the front.

T I do not want to crash into the car in front of me because physics. This is why I do not believe that cars will travel that more close to each other.

Well,
I think that's one of the philosophies of automated driving, cars in convoy would be part of the economics, which I'm sure the bean counters are researching.

Just think of the infrastructure that will be needed just to get all the automated cars on the road in a workable type of grid...whatever system, the cost will probably be exponential, never mind the cost of the cars themselves...and who's going to be responsible for anything that goes wrong.....they'll not be able to blame it on pilot error.

Bon Scott told you all about it in 1979.

No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody's gonna mess me around

Stop lights and other traffic signals will not be necessary once full Level 5 autonomy has been implemented.

Just as they would not now be necessary IF vehicles were operated by alert, vigilant, and courteous drivers.

But, for Level 5 autonomy to succeed, vehicle to vehicle and vehicle to environment communications must be established.

In addition to the elimination of traffic signals, fully autonomous vehicles will enable the elimination of current vehicle “safety features” such as head, tail, turn, and brake lights. The functions of these items will be replaced by direct communications between vehicles and environment.

Even windows will be superfluous, since drivers will no longer need to see their surroundings to safety operate their vehicles, the vehicles themselves will use an electro-optical “suite” of sensors and communications to “see”, or more accurately, sense, their surroundings.

At first, windows will likely be retained for the comfort of passengers, but they will likely soon be replaced, in their entirety, by extremely high resolution Multi-functional electro-luminescent panels, providing not only exterior views in real time, but also augmented reality (A/R) and other forms of entertainment.

Eliminating windows from vehicles will allow dramatic improvements to structural integrity and strength, as well as passenger security and privacy.


MY primary concern regarding a future in which fully autonomous vehicles are the norm is...

What happens to action movies when the classic Car Chase scene is no longer a realistic “thing”?

Think about it!

Bullet. The French Connection. Ronnin.

Every. James Bond. EVER!!!

All of them rendered hopelessly “unrealistic” because “car chases” just wouldn’t happen if the cars wouldn’t Chase! each other!

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

Yes, there's the one at the Lincoln Tunnel, which you can see on the opposite side, and the manned ones on the Turnpike which are in the intro.

Not only will traffic signs and lights not be necessary but neither will lanes. Traffic will take the best path based on algorithms and you might find yourself in a center lane going the opposite direction of the cars passing you on either side.

You also won't need parking lots or garages because your car is either a hire car or it will just drive around and stay out the way until you need to be picked up.

originally posted by: Bhadhidar

MY primary concern regarding a future in which fully autonomous vehicles are the norm is...

What happens to action movies when the classic Car Chase scene is no longer a realistic “thing”?

Think about it!

Bullet. The French Connection. Ronnin.

Every. James Bond. EVER!!!

All of them rendered hopelessly “unrealistic” because “car chases” just wouldn’t happen if the cars wouldn’t Chase! each other!

I was about to say something like that, (that bit isn't on your post that I'm using but is in the reply box) but let's face it, ubiquitous level 5 style will never cut the mustard, people like to look out for instance, even if it scares them.
Not everybody likes conformity either.

The other thing is this cars idea of cars and maybe other vehicles talking to each other at xm/kph?

convoy of Lorries, cars and their mass/numbers all different and some car/lorry orders emergency brake? it's daft innit!
Quantum computers perhaps could work it all out for every vehicle..including the vehicles maintenance state blah blah, but I don't think all the variables in any given situation immediately, vehicles still need to drive on a road, and we all know what unknowns can involve the road, without even involving the weather.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Or any lights for that matter? I was on a long trip. I was thinking about how great it would be to have a self driving car.
Maybe a full bed could be put in one.

Are you a woman?

a reply to: JAGStorm

Nope.

Once every single vehicle without exception become auto then stops lights will not mater.

originally posted by: Fallingdown
Stoplights might not be needed when there are only self driving cars on the roads.

I wonder how long that’ll take ?

But I’ve got another question.

Will self driving cars need windshield wipers ?

Why would they need windshields?

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
a reply to: JAGStorm

Nope.

Once every single vehicle without exception become auto then stops lights will not mater.

...because that is called A TRAIN.

a reply to: Fallingdown

Will self driving cars need windshield wipers ?

Nope.
Those will become an addon that people buy extra just because they want the view.

When all cars are full auto we wont even need windshields. Replace that throat cutting glass with some reinforced material. Would even be safer that way.