RICHARDSON: Driving on auto pilot
I'm a committed driver. I love to drive. I love to get behind the wheel of a car and take it through its paces — and yes, there have been times when I've driven a bit too fast. And yes, there have also been too many times where I've gazed in my rearview mirror only to see the light bar of a police cruiser flashing.
Having said all of that, I can't wait for the day when cars drive themselves. It's coming. Almost every auto manufacturer is experimenting with some type of vehicle that will pilot itself. So why would a person who loves to drive wait in anticipation for the day when cars cruise the highways without a human guiding the way? It will be safer. That's why.
I know there are many technological hurdles to jump, but Google is testing its self-guided car, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the car's artificial intelligence system could be considered a driver. One barrier down. Many more to come on the federal and state level.
Can you imagine robot mail and shipping delivery? But how about safety? No more DUIs. Just tell the car to take you home, if it can understand your slurred speech. But here's the real reason I welcome self-driving vehicles.
A day doesn't pass when I don't see the most dangerous thing on the roads: distracted drivers. My patience is wearing thin. Most of the time I drive a big, hulking, 5,000-plus-pound SUV. You can't miss it. But every day, somebody will make me bring that beast to a halt in less than the required distance because they were looking down at some little screen instead of up at something that if it T-boned them, would surely end their texting for a while, if not forever.
Though the natural reaction is to swerve, I've been trained not to do that. The laws of physics are pretty simple, really. My Ford weighs 5,000-plus pounds and is traveling at 45 mph. A new Honda (not picking on Hondas), weighs slightly less than 3,000 pounds. Do the math.
In the past week, I've seen people texting, talking and generally not paying attention. Some drivers have a habit of approaching a stop sign with too much speed and making oncoming traffic believe they're not going to stop. Sometimes they do an exaggerated California stop (meaning they don't). Your knuckles clench the steering wheel, and you start looking to take evasive action. That's dangerous, too, because you might end up crossing the center line into the path of another driver going in the opposite direction or into your neighbor's lane. That's why I don't swerve.
You would like to believe many of these drivers are young and inexperienced. There are those, believe me. But there are more than a few older drivers who are talking and texting and not paying attention while weaving down the road, too.
Remember in high school when there were driver training classes? I wish they could bring those back. The Kiwanians have their annual Roadeo, but more is needed. One thing the instructors hammered into us was "defensive driving." Always drive on the defensive, believing that the other drivers could do anything at anytime. That concept has saved my life many a time. Anticipating that someone is going to do something dumb is a skill. You can't assume the guy in the truck right beside you sees you. But just like I was taught to watch the player's waist playing defense in basketball and football, that truck can only go where the front wheels take it. If I see the wheel start in my direction, I react.
Personally, my biggest fear is meeting a driver coming from the opposite direction who strays, for whatever reason, into my lane. Having the choice of a ditch or a head-on collision isn't much of a choice. My big, hulking, 5,000-plus-pound SUV is great protection, but it's a situation I can do without.
I told you I drive fast. I remember what my drivers ed teacher, who was also my swimming coach, Mr. Rasmussen, used to say: "When two fools going 60 mph in opposite directions collide, they get to hell twice as fast." I'm not planning on going there just yet, if ever.
Charles E. Richardson is The Telegraph's editorial page editor. He can be reached at 478-744-4342 or via email at crichardson@macon.com. Tweet@crichard1020.
This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 3:13 PM with the headline "RICHARDSON: Driving on auto pilot ."