2015-11-01
October 31, 2015
Port Authority Unanimously Approves $10 Billion Plan to Replace Bus Terminal
A Siff, Oct 22 "The Port Authority of
New York and New Jersey has
unanimously approved an estimated $10
billion plan to replace the existing
65-year-old bus terminal.
The plan approved Thursday includes an
international design competition. The
final design will be picked in
September." [See Video](http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/NYC-Port-Authority-Bus-Terminal-Replaced-Plan-Board-Meeting-Vote-335720501.html)
Hmmm... This is great, but since
it will not be finished for 15
years, it better be designed with
SmartDrivingBuses in mind. In
fact, [20 years ago, Lou Pignataro and I envisioned](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/FtMonmouth/alain%27s%20ahs%20xbl%20Pro%2010-95.pdf) that today's
longitudinal and lateral control
systems could readily allow a 50%
increase in the capacity (from a
current max of 700 to 1,050
buses/hr) of the Counter-flow
Exclusive Bus (XBL) lane/Lincoln
Tunnel if only the PA Bus Terminal
could accommodate the additional
buses. This enable an additional
17,500 seated passengers per hour
to commute from NJ to NYC, a
volume that is essentially
equivalent to what a new rail
tunnel would provide. Hopefully,
the PANY&NJ accommodate such a
service improvement when they
design and build this new bus
terminal. Alain
Autonomous Car Sets Record in Mexico
J. Hsu Oct 26, "An experimental
self-driving car has set a record for
an autonomous road trip in Mexico. The
trip from the U.S.-Mexico border to
Mexico City provided the opportunity
to collect data and prepare for an
even longer upcoming road trip from
Reno, Nevada to Mexico City.
The autonomous car in this case was a
2010 Volkswagen Passat Variant named
Autonomos. The modified, self-driving
vehicle can automatically control
speed, direction, and braking without
human driver intervention, but it also
relies upon GPS to safely follow
preset routes. Researchers prepared
special maps containing terabytes of
data detailing the number of lanes,
highway markings, exits, intersections
and traffic lights..." [Read more](http://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/self-driving/driverless-car-sets-autonomous-driving-record-in-mexico/?utm_source=roboticsnews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=102715)Hmmmm...
Excellent. Alain
The Autonomous Winter Is Coming
A. Roy, Oct 15 "Winter is coming for
car manufacturers. An Autonomous
Winter, without end. If you've seen
what Tesla is doing with [Autopilot](http://jalopnik.com/teslas-autopilot-system-is-awesome-and-creepy-and-a-sig-1736573089),
and [all they plan to do with it](http://jalopnik.com/tesla-is-already-tracking-its-cars-to-teach-them-to-dri-1736582289), you've
already seen the future. Now it's up
to automakers to figure out what they
want to be in this new world as
quickly as possible.
Don't think so? It's because no one
can remember anything that happened
before the VW emissions scandal.
While everyone is talking about the
future of diesel and the
consequences for VW, two big
announcements were made around the
Frankfurt Auto Show have been mostly
forgotten: [Google's hiring of former head of Hyundai Motors America John Krafcik](http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/14/google-hires-ex-hyundai-boss-john-krafcik-to-head-its-self-driving-cars-hints-at-alphabet-spin-out/) as CEO of
their Self-Driving Car Project, and
Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche's claim
that "[we do not plan to become the Foxconn of Apple](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/automobiles/apples-auto-inroads-create-a-buzz-at-frankfurt-motor-show.html)."...."
[Read more](http://jalopnik.com/the-autonomous-winter-is-coming-1736684890)
Hmmm… The “70% reduction of cars on the road” is a stretch. (That implies each car carries a little more than 3 people rather than today’s one (Average Vehicle Occupancy (AVO) go from today’s 1.0 to better than 3.0) This will be a challenge in the peak-hour, peak-direction; all-day no-way! Plus, enhanced mobility will engender greater Person-Miles Traveled (PMT), which in itself puts more cars on the road, were it not for ride-sharing taking them off. So net-net-asymptotic best AVO is unlikely to be greater than 2.0 meaning that at most 50% reduction of cars on the road. (Sorry to quibble about 70% v 50%, when 50% would be an enormous achievement in the light of all of the additional mobility that would be afforded to so many while decreasing the overall impact on EnergyConsumption, Pollution and GreenHouseGases/ClimateChange by 50%! Alain
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Technologies Expected to Offer Benefits, but Deployment Challenges Exist
GAO-15-775, Sept 2015 "...p35:
Although V2I applications are being
developed for the purpose of providing
safety, mobility, operational, and
environmental benefits, the extent to
which V2I benefits will be realized is
currently unclear because of the
limited data available and the limited
deployment of V2I technologies. To
date, only small research deployments
have occurred to test connected
vehicle technologies. However, DOT has
commissioned or conducted some studies
to estimate potential V2I benefits,
particularly with respect to safety
and the environment. ..." [Read more](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/PDFs/GAO_V2I_Sept2015.pdf) Hmmm...
A 53 page report that says very
little beyond "expert" opinions on
various issues. Appendix II:
Expert Ratings of Potential
Challenges Facing Deployment of
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure
Technologies and its Table 3 is
the most interesting. Alain
How Soon Will Tesla Know If Autopilot Use Decreases Auto Accident Rates?
J. Ayres, Oct 31 "How soon will Tesla
know if use of the new autopilot
feature reduces overall auto accident
rates amongst users? Given the greatly
detailed information that Tesla
gathers regarding driving patterns and
events, one would presume… not that
long from now.
Though I suppose that perhaps there
may be advantages to waiting awhile to
publicly reveal what's known
(presuming that the company does end
up sharing publicly)?..."[Read more](http://evobsession.com/soon-will-tesla-know-autopilot-use-decreases-auto-accident-rates/)
Hmmm…While this is the $64,000. Question! They should know within a couple of million vehicle miles: DaysSinceOct15 = 2Million/(NumberAutoPilotTeslas*MilesPerDay). Teslas on-average, may be driven as much as 100 MilesPerDay (although it may actually be only ~10 :-( ) =20,000/NumberAutoPilotTeslas.
Since we should be able to
assume that there
are at least 10,000 of these out
there, then they should know a lot
by now!! This is the real power
of crowd sourcing, even a small
fleet (Mercedes, why haven't you
been doing it????
Shame on you!!) Sure hope they
release the info. They know
already! Alain
The Autopilot is learning fast: Model S owners are already reporting that Tesla’s Autopilot is self-improving
F. Lambert, Oct. 30 oet"...He said
that the system should improve every
day, but that improvements might only
become noticeable every week or so by
adding up. Just a few weeks after the
release, Model S owners are already
taking to the Tesla Motors Club forum
to describe how the Autopilot is
improving…Musk said that Model S
owners could add ~1 million miles of
new data every day, which is helping
the company create "high precision
maps":..." [Read more](http://electrek.co/2015/10/30/the-autopilot-is-learning-fast-model-s-owners-are-already-reporting-that-teslas-autopilot-is-self-improving/)
Meet the Companies Building Self-Driving Cars for Google and Tesla (And Maybe Apple)
M. Bergen, Oct 27 "The list below is
not exhaustive. Yet after
conversations with nearly a dozen
manufacturers, industry experts and
tech companies involved in the world
of self-driving cars, Re/code
assembled a portrait of the leading,
innovative companies and critical
dynamics in the autonomous industry.
You know the iPhone teardown. Welcome
to the self-driving car industry
teardown:..." [Read more](http://recode.net/2015/10/27/meet-the-companies-building-self-driving-cars-for-google-and-tesla-and-maybe-apple/) Hmmm...
Very interesting! Alain
Some other
thoughts that deserve your
Future cars drift into the present at Tokyo Motor Show
S. Byford, Oct 29 "...From sleek,
electronic vehicles that feel more
like gadgets than cars, to roaring,
muscular love letters to the concept
of driving itself, it was all here
this year. .." [Read mor](http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/29/9634040/tokyo-motor-show-2015-photos)e (see Pictures See
Also [Cars of the Future on Display at Auto Show](http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/10/28/green-self-driving-cars-take-center-stage-at-tokyo-auto-show)and [Meet Mercedes-Benz's Vision Tokyo, a self-driving car for the megacity](http://fortune.com/2015/10/28/mercedes-benz-tokyo-concept/)
Various
Tesla AutoPilot Videos (Some
irresponsible) :
Your AutoPilot Has Arrived.…Oct
14, 2015
Crazy Russian AutoPilot Videos
Tesla AutoPilot Video
Driving a Tesla on Autopilot
Imagining the Driverless City
P. Kiger, Oct 2 "...Perhaps the most
profound effect of driverless vehicles
would be to drastically reduce the
need for parking structures and
surface lots, which today take up a
third of land inside cities, according
to Rowe. Some of the garages and
underground structures could be
converted into storage spaces for
urban dwellers who live in micro
units, while the unneeded surface lots
would be available for commercial or
residential development or green
space.?..." [Read more](http://urbanland.uli.org/infrastructure-transit/imagining-driverless-city/) Hmmm...
A lot of this is rehash and
nothing is said about the
transition from today to whatever
marvelous future that is being
envisioned. However, implications
on land-use is so fundamentally
important and we have barely begun
to think about it. So anything
written at this stage is
important. See Also: [Redesigning Roads: Taking a Look at the 'Complete Streets' Movement](http://www.govtech.com/fs/Redesigning-Roads-Taking-a-Look-at-the-Complete-Streets-Movement.html)
Alain
4 Cars Approaching an Intersection
acomik.tumblr.com, Oct 2015 “Robo-cars, are they too dangerous? See more. Hmmm…
Just a little fun. Alain
Recompiled Old
News :
Half-baked stuff
that probably doesn't deserve
your time:
The Case for the Steering Wheel (and Against Truly Driverless Cars)
B. Guarino, Oct 27 " The appeals of
the driverless car are multiple, but
the argument in favor of letting
Robo-Jesus take the wheel gaining
traction is the simplest of the
bunch: Human drivers are bad...." [Read more](https://www.inverse.com/article/7465-the-case-for-the-steering-wheel-and-against-truly-driverless-cars) Hmmmm...
No! the appeal to the
driverless car is the
opportunity to provide
elevator-like horizontal
mobility to everyone without
incurring essentially any labor
costs. Alain
How the ‘hoverboards’ took off - in spite of laws against them
E Ailes, Oct 13, “They’re known variously as “hoverboards” or “rideables” and are the latest must-have at the feet of celebrities - but the Crown Prosecution Service says riding them on public UK roads is illegal. What is this futuristic new breed of transportation - and how practical is it?…” Read more Hmmm… more Segways???Alain
###
C’mon Man! (These folks didn’t get/read
the memo)
###
Calendar
of Upcoming Events:
###
###
November 4-6, 2015http://www.podcarcity.org/siliconvalley
###
http://www.automatedfl.com/our-efforts/florida-automated-vehicles-summit/
###
###
##
Technix 2016 Envision Automated Transit (EAT) Saturday, January 9th, 2016
9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Kim Engineering
Building, University
of Maryland
8228 Paint Branch
Dr., College Park,
MD 20742
Open to the public
http://www.advancedtransit.org/library/news/technix-2016-envision-automated-transit-eat/
Recent
Versions of:
#
###
###
Should Autopilot Cars Be Required To Pass Driving Tests?
J. Gorzelany Oct 22, “Every state in the union requires motorists to pass a battery of tests in order to be licensed, so why not self-driving vehicles? That’s a notion recently discussed in a white paper written by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute…“ Read moreHmmmm…
[See the UofM white paper: Should We Require Licensing ...](http://www.umich.edu/%7Eumtriswt/PDF/UMTRI-2015-33_Abstract_English.pdf). Of
course! The
question is now,
what should that
test be? Should
it simply be the
same test as
administered
today, but with
the car doing it
as opposed to
the human (that
means the
automated car is
empty except the
examiner riding
shotgun barking
out
instructions) or
is it a
progressive exam
coupled with a
well defined set
of conditions
under which the
automated
functionalities
are
"engage-able"
(For example: NJ
Turnpike
Southbound
between
mileposts X and
Y, in lanes 2
and 3 of the
"truck barrel"
between sunrise
and sunset,
without heavy
rain, sleet,
snow or fog;
etc.) or ??? as
in the report.
Alain
###
Self-Driving Cars Are Coming Right For Us
Stephen C. Oct 16
"... It seems like
every billionaire
with a tech company
is working on a
self-driving car, so
they're coming
whether you like it
or not..." [See Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O05htLHWuE)
Hmmmm....
Well worth
watching. As
well as Video1,
[Video2,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yCAZWdqX_Y) [Video 3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrwxEX8qOxA), [Video4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wY9oeCa4ATw),
[Video@night](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYBV9Dqmsxs):-)
Alain
###
US urged to establish nationwide Federal guidelines for autonomous driving
Oct 7 “The US risks losing its leading global position in the development of self-driving cars if it allows a patchwork of varying state laws and regulations to develop, according to Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars.
In a speech to be
delivered Thursday
at a high level
seminar on
self-driving cars
organized by Volvo
Cars and the Embassy
of Sweden in
Washington DC, Mr
Samuelsson will
say...
He will urge regulators to work closely with car makers to solve controversial outstanding issues such as questions over legal liability in the event that a self-driving car is involved in a crash or hacked by a criminal third party.
Mr Samuelsson will
clearly state
Volvo's position on
both of these
contentious issues.
He will say Volvo will accept full liability whenever one if its cars is in autonomous mode, making it one of the first car makers in the world to make such a promise.
He will add that
Volvo regards the hacking
of a car as a
criminal offense.
...."[Read more](https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/167975/us-urged-to-establish-nationwide-federal-guidelines-for-autonomous-driving)
Hmmmm...
Fantastic!!!
This will really
"shake 'em up".
I'll be on a
panel at this
meeting later
this morning.
Can't wait!!!
This is
FANTASTIC!!!Alain
[See also](http://www.popsci.com/volvo-on-self-driven-car-liability-i-volunteer)
###
“60 Minutes” test-rides Mercedes-Benz self-driving car
Oct
2 "As Google's
driverless cars
have logged more
then a million
miles in the
past six years,
the rest of the
auto industry is
racing to keep
up. Computer
scientist Ralf
Herrtwich hits
the road with
"60 Minutes"
correspondent
Bill Whitaker to
demonstrate
Mercedes-Benz's
most advanced
self-driving
prototype. Watch
the full story
Sunday on "60
Minutes." [Watch video](http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/60-minutes-test-rides-mercedes-benz-self-driving-car/) and
watch 60
minutes on
Sunday Oct 4.
This is really
becoming
mainstream.
Congratulations
Ralf! Alain
As Volkswagen Pushed to Be No. 1, Ambitions Fueled a Scandal
D. Hakim, Sept 26 “…It is not Volkswagen’s first run-in with regulators over emissions. When the United States began regulating tailpipe pollutants in the 1970s, Volkswagen was one of the first companies caught cheating. It was fined $120,000 in 1973 for installing what became known as a “defeat device,” technology to shut down a vehicle’s pollution control systems. This time, it equipped its vehicles with software that was programmed to fake test results, an action the E.P.A. rebuked in 1998, when it reached a $1 billion settlement with truck-engine manufacturers for doing the same thing…..
Cheating on
emissions tests
solved several
issues at once. Not
only were drivers
rewarded with better
mileage and
performance, but the
automaker also
avoided more
expensive and
cumbersome
pollution-control
systems.
While
Volkswagen cheated
behind the scenes,
it publicly espoused
virtue. This, after
all, is the company
that used one of the
largest advertising
arenas in the world,
the [Super Bowl, to run a commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljI2S7rwZ1Y%20)showing
its engineers
sprouting angel's
wings.
...Confronted again,
Volkswagen continued
to maintain that
there was a problem
with the testers,
not the
vehicles...Government
officials then
increased the
pressure on the
company, threatening
to withhold approval
for its 2016
Volkswagen and Audi
diesel models.
According to the
E.P.A., that is what
forced Volkswagen's
hand. On Sept. 3, a
group of senior
engineers admitted
what the regulators
had suspected: ....
" [Read more](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/business/as-vw-pushed-to-be-no-1-ambitions-fueled-a-scandal.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0) Hmmm...So
UGLY!!! Alain
###
###
Automakers Will Make Automatic Braking Systems Standard in New Cars
B. Vlasic, Sept 11 “ Federal regulators said on Friday that 10 automakers had agreed to install automatic braking systems, which use sensors to detect potential collisions, as standard equipment in new vehicles.
But the automakers
have not set a
timetable for the
introduction of the
systems, ...Anthony
Foxx, [the transportation secretary, said](http://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/us-dot-and-iihs-announce-historic-commitment-10-automakers-include-automatic-emergency)
in a prepared
statement that
emergency braking
technology could
reduce traffic
deaths and injuries.
"We are entering a
new era of vehicle
safety, focusing on
preventing crashes
from ever occurring,
rather than just
protecting occupants
when crashes
happen," Mr. Foxx
said....
The 10 companies
"will work with
I.I.H.S. and
N.H.T.S.A. in the
coming months on the
details of
implementing their
historic
commitment," the
National Highway
Traffic Safety
Administration said
in [a statement](http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/nhtsa-iihs-commitment-on-aeb-09112015) (Same
as the DoT
Statement.) [Read more](http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/09/12/business/automakers-will-make-automatic-braking-systems-standard-in-new-cars.html) Hmmm...
This
is major because
the automakers
"had agreed..."
rather than "the
regulators had
required..."
(although there
seems to be a
little push-back
in that "...had
not set a
timetable..."
We do know that
many are now
offering these
systems at a
modest up-sell.
So there may
actually be
substance in the
announcement.)
What is clear
now is that we
should all
Invest in
insurance
companies that
are creative in
insuring these
new vehicles!!!
They are going
to become so
profitable!
Insurance gets
the cash benefit
of the
technology
without having
to pay for it!!!
Wow!!!Congratulations
Warren Buffett.
He must have
played a role in
this. He stands
to benefit so
much. :-)
While trucks are
mentioned, (amazing that buses aren't; DoT is SO BAD!!), they
seem very much
the stepchild.
SO unfortunate!
:-( Alain
Truck Safety Out of the Box from Autonobox
B Simpson, July 19, 2015 “The premise is promising. Develop and market a plug-and-play, forward-avoidance braking system for the heavy vehicle market that can be installed quickly, upgraded regularly, and even transferred from vehicle to vehicle if necessary.
The Autonobox System
essentially is a
second braking
system for
heavy-duty vehicles
that addresses the
long-standing
problem of brakes
that overheat after
intense use like a
panic-stop or
sustained use while
going downhill.... [Read more](http://www.driverlesstransportation.com/truck-safety-out-of-the-box-from-autonobox-9450) Hmmm...A
viable
after-market
retro-fit
opportunity.
Alain
###
Self-Driving Cars Could Destroy Fine-Based City Government. What’s the Downside?
S. Shackford, July 15 “One of the propelling concepts behind self-driving cars isn’t just innovation for the sake of innovation, leading us to our sci-fi Jetsons future. If successfully implemented, it will make ground travel safer, …Local governments have become increasingly dependent on human screw-ups as a way to raise money. Speeding tickets. DUI citations. Parking violations. Those are all big money-makers for municipalities that could very well go away under a regime of self-driving cars….On top of that, if the theory that self-driving cars will lead people to own fewer cars holds up, revenue from registration fees will drop as well…. Read more Hmmm… No downside here! These have to be one of the most regressive tax systems, just behind lotteries and gambling. Governments deserve it, but will save because they will need way police police who now waste way too much of their time enforcing traffic laws. Police have much better things to do. Wins all around; No Downside! Alain
###
Lipinski Continues Efforts to Keep Cars and Other Transportation Safe from Cyber Attacksin
Wake of [Fiat Chrysler Recall](http://www.wsj.com/articles/fiat-chrysler-recalls-1-4-million-vehicles-amid-hacking-concerns-1437751526)
July 28 “…These vulnerabilities pose great risks and the federal government must do more to help protect Americans from these risks.”
Late last year, the
Cybersecurity
Enhancement Act,
originally
introduced by
Congressmen
Lipinski, was signed
into law. The Act
increases the
security of federal
networks and
information systems,
improves the
transfer of
cybersecurity
technologies to the
marketplace, trains
a cybersecurity
workforce, and
coordinates and
prioritizes federal
cybersecurity
research and
development
efforts. " [Read mor](http://www.lipinski.house.gov/press-releases/lipinski-continues-efforts-to-keep-cars-and-other-transportation-safe-from-cyber-attacks-in-wake-of-fiat-chrysler-recall/)e Hmmm...
Besides
protecting we
must also
prosecute.
There has to be
bad consequences
and not
notoriety to
those that do
the nasty deed.
Alain
###
###
###
Center for Automated Road Transportation Safety @ Fort Monmouth is Launched
Monday, July 20,
2015 – "After more
than three (3) years
of planning and
several major
meetings the
substantive launch
the Center for
Automated Road
Transportation
Safety @ Fort
Monmouth (CARTS@FM)
occurred this week
with the
establishment of the
not-for-profit.
(501(c) (6)), New
Jersey Corporation.
The mission of this
Center is to
substantially
improve safety on
our existing
conventional roadway
infrastructure
through the use of
inexpensive
automated collision
avoidance systems
installed on
individual vehicles
operating
harmoniously with
conventional
vehicles throughout
most, if not all,
existing roadways.
The scope of CARTS's
mission is across
all modes that
utilize the nation's
conventional road
system: trucks,
buses and cars. .."
[Read more](http://orfe.princeton.edu/%7Ealaink/SmartDrivingCars/FtMonmouth/NJCARTS/PressRelease_CARTS@FM.pdf)
###
Rep. Lipinski Introduces Future Transportation Research and Innovation Act
I. Sancken 03/29/15, “Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) has introduced H.R. 2886, the Future Transportation Research and Innovation for Prosperity (TRIP) Act, to support innovative technologies that have the potential to fundamentally alter mobility in America and beyond.
"Surface
transportation used
to be rather staid
and unimaginative,
but today the very
concept of
'mobility' is being
reinvented through
research,
innovation, and
entrepreneurship,"
said Rep. Lipinski.
"Rapidly advancing
automation,
connectivity, and
information
technologies are
creating incredible
opportunities for
transportation
innovation. We need
to develop
innovative ways to
improve safety, ease
congestion, improve
personal mobility,
and cut energy
use..." [Read more](http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/la-grange/community/chi-ugc-article-rep-lipinski-introduces-future-transportatio-2015-06-29-story.html#page=1)
Hmmm...
Excellent!
Alain
###
NTSB Calls for Immediate Action on Collision Avoidance Systems for Vehicles; Cites Slow Progress as Major Safety Issue
6/8/15 " WASHINGTON
– In a report
released today, the
National
Transportation
Safety Board
outlined the
life-saving benefits
of currently
available collision
avoidance systems,
and recommended that
the technology
become standard on
all new passenger
and commercial
vehicles.
"You don't pay extra
for your seatbelt,"
said Chairman
Christopher A. Hart.
"And you shouldn't
have to pay extra
for technology that
can help prevent a
collision
altogether."... [Read more](http://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20150608b.aspx) Hmmm
Yea!!!
Finally some
semblance of
sanity in
Washington.
Alain
###
###
John F. Nash Jr., Math Genius Defined by a ‘Beautiful Mind,’ Dies at 86
E. Goodmay, May 24 “…Dr. Nash and his wife, Alicia, 82, were in a taxi on the New Jersey Turnpike in Monroe Township around 4:30 p.m. when the driver lost control while veering from the left lane to the right and hit a guardrail and another car, Sgt. Gregory Williams of the New Jersey State Police said.
The couple were
ejected from the cab
and pronounced dead
at the scene. The
State Police said it
appeared that they
had not been wearing
seatbelts.... [Read more](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/25/science/john-nash-a-beautiful-mind-subject-and-nobel-winner-dies-at-86.html)
See also: [John, Alicia Nash Remembered After Fatal Crash](http://www.towntopics.com/wordpress/2015/05/27/john-alicia-nash-remembered-after-fatal-crash/)
A Beautiful Mind Mathematician John Nash and His Wife Killed in N.J. Car Crash ;
Hmmm…
So tragic!!!
What a
crying shame!!!
So
preventable!!!
We will miss
them :-(
Unfortunately,
the NYT and
others tried but
missed the
fundamental
point by
following up
with ["Deaths of Math Genius John F. Nash Jr. and Wife Show Need to Use Seatbelts in Back, Experts Say](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/26/nyregion/deaths-of-math-genius-john-f-nash-jr-and-his-wife-show-need-to-use-seatbelts-in-back-experts-say.html)
". Why do we so
easily put up
with crashes in
the first
place? It is as
if it is OK to
go around
crashing, just
put on a seat
belt.
Technology is
available to
avoid crashes,
but there isn't
sufficient
public policy
focus on
avoiding crashes
to accelerate
its adoption and
enhancement.
The
fundamental problem
was that the
taxi was not
equipped with
available
automated
stability
control, lane
keeping and
collision
avoidance
systems. This
was not an
accident, it was
a failed public
safety policy
that refuses to
move beyond
crash mitigation
and its
challenged "V2x"
initiatives to
embrace
forthright
automated crash
avoidance.
Moreover, there is a failed Taxi regulatory structure that doesn’t even hint that taxis should have electronic stability control, automated lane keeping and collision avoidance. What is the purpose of taxi regulation, to keep “Ubers” out of business?
It is time for the nation’s transportation policy to focus intelligence/automation on the vehicle in support of the driver. Hopefully
Congress will
restructure the
pending
transportation
legislation to
focus automated
vehicle
technologies
that actively
assist drivers
when they make
driving
mistakes. We
are not
perfect. We
deserve a public
safety policy
that is more
mindful of our
imperfections.
Policy that
isn't aimed at
just warning and
scolding us but
actively takes
over and does
the right
thing. We, not the infrastructure, are the cause of
most of the the
highway
carnage. It is
the driver who
needs help and
our public
policy should
focus on
delivering that
help. Alain
[Mailto:alaink@princeton.edu](Mailto:alaink@princeton.edu)
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