Tangney: Self-driving cars won’t stop another vehicle from smashing into you
Feb 3, 2016, 9:02 AM | Updated: 12:35 pm
Kirkland residents might catch a glimpse of self-driving cars in February. (AP)
(AP)
Google will be testing its self-driving car project in Kirkland, with the first of its vehicles to be on local streets this month.
Kirkland is the second city where regular testing will take place, KIRO 7 reports.
Related: Seattle’s passive-aggressive pedestrians can’t be trusted around self-driving cars
The company says Kirkland is an ideal place to expand testing because of its temperate climate, with seasonal rain for wet weather practice. Its hills will also allow for the testing of sensors at different angles and elevations.
But how much needs to be done before people will trust the vehicles? KIRO Radio’s John Curley wonders. And will people be willing to spend thousands more for them?
John Curley: You’re going to go get a car and you have a choice of three: your standard vehicle, an electric car that will cost $5000 more, or a self-driving car for $10,000 more. It would make your payments longer.
Producer Patrick Satterwhite: I would love a self-driving car. That sounds fantastic.
JC: How long would you need to wait to have complete and utter faith in a self-driving car? What would you need to see?
Patrick: I’d probably sit in the back right away — that would be awesome — if they said it was OK.
Tom Tangney: He has faith in government; that they would not put something that dangerous on the roadway. It’s another faith in government question.
Would Curley be OK with it?
JC: I’d be OK. They would probably put a bunch of extra buttons to avoid an accident.
TT: It would be interesting to see what an accident would do to it. If you’re in a self-driving car it doesn’t stop another driver from ramming you.
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Tune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 3pm for The John Curley Show.
