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Rear ended.. again??

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by cyclopathic, Jun 6, 2015.

  1. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    Google self-driving car gets rear-ended in 13th accident since 2009 | Ars Technica
     
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  2. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Ooooooh, shiny object... BANG!

    People are stupid and have short attention spans.
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    One factor: increasingly distracting controls: ventilation, navigation etcetera. I really miss tactile, physical knobs and sliders, let you keep your eyes on the road.
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    eye phones.
     
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you don't have to be google to get rear ended, but i have to wonder what the reaction time is, man vs machine.
     
  6. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    I am afraid this may be the case. With tailgating a norm, 0.5sec slower reaction time and unpredictability due to non-human driver..
     
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I can recall doing a moderately quick stop for a red, then looking in the rear view mirror, seeing a fish-tailing Harley just a-coming: I let off the brake, rolled across the (empty) crosswalk and a few feet into the intersection, affording them (two) swerve-room to run the red light. Got the finger from the passenger.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Jun 7, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2015
  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Dashcam.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  9. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    what is the mpg on the google self driving prius?
    I know I beat the cruise control mpg almost every time on the same route
     
  10. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Came off a 55MPH section of road to a stop light in a non-Prius. I knew the light was there so was slowing but not braking till late. I came to a stop10 feet behind the car in front of me. I was the sixth car stopped in my lane at the light. I'm in the left of 2 lanes. All of a sudden I see a 20 foot panel truck behind me, sliding along in the median on my left, stopping several car lengths in front of me. Probably late braking if at all while in my lane. The young gal behind him probably got no brake light warning, couldn't see the stop light for the height of the truck and slid right into me.

    Stuff happens.
     
    #10 mikefocke, Jun 7, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2015
  11. telmo744

    telmo744 HSD fanatic

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    "Hey, look at that car ahead of us, funny thing over the roof, no driver?"... CRASH....
     
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  12. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Google may want to remove the "brake check" programming from their ride.
    ;)
    .
     
  13. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    All these rear endings probably mean the cars are not showing brake lights soon enough. I would try that. Google can probably modify the cars to directly turn on and off brake lights and see if that stops it.

    Being a great driver doesn't mean that other guy won't hit you, but I have a friend that anticipates lights too well and kept getting rear ended - yes I consider that it was partially his fault. All only car damage no injuries and the other peoples insurance, but it sucks to get in a car accident.
     
  14. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    On a bright side driving Prii taught me to "gradually slow down while maximizing CHG" probably saved me from rear-ended a fair number of times.
     
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  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    on the other hand, my half blind 94 year old father slams the brakes on at the last second all the time, and gets rear ended on a regular basis.
     
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  16. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    He is not in the business of getting insurance pay-offs, is he?

    the friend of the friend living in NYC nailed an old guy in the back. Turned out dude had neck arthritis which he was getting pay offs for. Case went to courts and it would have been a different story if her lawyer didn't find that that was his 7th rear-end case in last year.

    Irregardless as a driver I hate to get stuck behind SUV with tinted glass with unpredictable bozo behind steering wheel. Stay away from them cars like that are rolling accident to happen.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i don't think he's with the program enough to try that.:p he drives a sebring hard top convertible. i think he's been rear ended 4 times. trunk doesn't close right, and the roof mechanics are screwed up. insurance refuses to pay, claiming the damage was from the first accident, and that was 5 or 6 years ago when the car was almost new.
     
  18. mrbigh

    mrbigh Prius Absolutum Dominium

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    Still, he is a liability for others on the road...............
     
  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no question. but who is the greater liability, him for stopping at the last second for a lady pushing a baby through a crosswalk, or the girl in the jeep who rear ended him while talking/texting/tailgating?
     
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  20. austingreen

    austingreen Senior Member

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    Relatives on my mom's side of the family become particularly bad drivers when they age, yet they consider the car part of freedom, and it is hard to fight with someone that thinks you are taking their freedom away. Self driving cars would be a great comfort for these relatives. When I was a little boy we used to count how many people my grandfather almost hit. Pretty sad. When I was 14, he totaled his car in an accident (I think he was in his late 70s then), luckily no one was hurt, but it was enough to let my parents, aunts, and uncles to convince him not to get another car.

    I'm sure your dad is much safer than those other things, but wouldn't it be nice if we had more protective cars that would help him brake safer.
     
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