GM Starts Self Driving Car Testing One Day After Red Light Incident

[Gorehamj]

John Goreham
Contributing Writer, GM-Trucks.com
12-16-2016

One day after the news broke that Uber's self-driving car blew through a red light while a pedestrian stood feet away in a crosswalk, GM announced it is taking its self-driving research to a public road near you. GM's announcement in part said, "General Motors will immediately begin testing autonomous vehicles on public roads."

 

“Revolutionizing transportation for our customers while improving safety on roads is the goal of our autonomous vehicle technology, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to making this vision a reality,” said General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Our autonomous technology will be reliable and safe, as customers have come to expect from any of our vehicles.” We don't dispute that some vehicle automation tools do and will continue to improve safety, but are these autonomous vehicles ready for testing on public roads?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9T6LkNm-5w

The self-driving Uber vehicle is just the latest crash on public roads involving self-driving cars. Earlier this year a Google self-driving vehicle turned from a parking spot directly into the path of a huge city bus, causing a crash. If a self-driving vehicle can't see a bus coming, can it see a motorcycle? A bicyclist? A self-driving Tesla also killed its driver when the vehicle hit the side a truck while speeding through an intersection.

 

Self-driving vehicles, electric vehicles, and ride-sharing are all "mobility solutions" automakers are now bundling to kill multiple birds with one stone. If successful, ride sharing in autonomous EVs can boost sales, meet CAFE requirements, and allow automakers to meet mandates on zero emission vehicles in states like California that mandate them. GM is planning to begin production of self-driving Chevy Bolts in its Orion plant in early 2017.

[Colossus]

I want to bitch and complain but GM is just trying to stay competitive. I think.

[99silveradoz71]

I will make a quick rant about Uber for a second being that they were mentioned. Way too often on the weekend evenings when someone is driving poorly and we end up having a conversation after the reds and blues go on, they immediately drop the "U" word and seem to think that is a fine excuse for driving poorly and blocking lanes. I understand you're out trying to make a buck, but that doesn't give you a hall pass to block the street and endanger the rest of the motoring public.

[Jsdirt]

If the same build quality goes into these self-driving cars that went into my Silverado, then God help the motoring public ...