The case for driverless cars
The case for driverless cars
When I read the Daily Herald article on driverless cars on April 29, I had to think about that one for a while. In case nobody has noticed, we have had driverless cars on the streets for several years now.
Consideration the distractions: Phone calls, texting, drinking, drugs, playing withe the GPS, radio, CDs, MP3 player, eating, drinking, picking up dropped articles, reading, shaving, putting on eye makeup, combing hair, watching a movie on a tablet, lighting a smoke or dropping one on the seat — everything but paying attention is what they're doing.
Has anyone driven from Elgin to Rockford through the 45 mph construction zone lately? That is a joke. You take your life in your hands if you try to do 45 mpg. I recently did between 55 and 60 and virtually every vehicle that came up behind me passed me, or they ride your bumper or pass and cut in with less than a car length in front of you.
I think we have had at least six accidents this year in the Chicago area on the expressways with wrong-way driers. How stupid do you have to be to get on an expressway going the wrong way?
Turn signals are possibly used by 50 percent of the drivers, if that. Most times you have to guess what the other driver is going to do at a stop.
Right turn on red should be stopped; it's one of the biggest safety hazards on the road today. I would venture that more than half do not make a complete stop or proceed with care. I have had people turn in front of me while I have a green left turn arrow, or the right of way on a green light.
On second thought, driverless cars could be a real improvement.
Donald Berger
Elgin