2016-02-23
SmartDrivingCars-????-021816
Motor Vehicle Deaths Increase by Largest Percent in 50 Years
Press Release Feb 16 "With continued lower gasoline prices and an
improving economy resulting in an estimated 3.5% increase
in motor-vehicle mileage, the number of motor-vehicle deaths in 2015
totaled 38,300, up 8% from 2014.
The 2015 estimate is provisional and may be revised when more data
are available. The total for 2015 was up 8% from the 2013 figure.
The annual total for 2014 was 35,398, a less than 0.5% increase
from 2013. The 2013 figure was 3% lower than 2012. The estimated
annual population death rate is 11.87 deaths per 100,000
population, an increase of 7% from the 2014 rate. The estimated
annual mileage death rate is 1.22 deaths per 100 million vehicle
miles traveled, an increase of 5% from the 2014 rate. [Read more](http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2016/mv-fatality-report-1215.pdf) Hmmmm...This is REALLY BAD
news. Come on insurance. This is costing you money! Accident
rates going up means that your actuarials are behind, your
regulated pricing lags
and you are losing money. To get ahead of your actuarials,
you MUST incentivize the adoption of automated collision
avoidance systems. You'll then do very well, thank you AND
help society. Alain
Auto industry, regulators move slowly on automatic braking
AP, Feb 17 "...The minutes from the fourth session, on Dec. 9,
indicate that some automakers say they won't be ready to include
the technology in 95 percent of their vehicles until model year
that begins in September 2025. NHTSA and the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety objected, saying such a long timeline "was too
late for this effort to be seen as a serious effort." Automakers
are now being polled to see if they can equip 95 percent of their
vehicles by the model year beginning in September 2022..." [Read more](http://www.statesville.com/news/business/ap/automatic-braking-for-cars-private-talks-on-technology-pace/article_5adc14a6-3cc7-5e29-a85e-ff8148df2834.html) Hmmmm...Forget the regulators, an insurance leader
should just step in over this impasse by using the reduced
liability risk associated with automated collision avoidance
systems that actually work and use some of that saving to
encourage the consumer to buy cars and keep the remainder to
become richer. Then you wouldn't need all those meetings. :-)
Alain
Map: The Most Common* Job In Every State
Feb 5, "...What's with all the truck drivers? Truck drivers
dominate the map for a few reasons...." [Read more](http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/02/05/382664837/map-the-most-common-job-in-every-state) Hmmmm...Look at the listing
and the map! What is not said is that driving is one of the
most dangerous occupations ([1](http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfar0020.pdf), [2](http://money.cnn.com/2008/08/20/news/fewer_workers_die_on_job/),
[3](http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-dangerous-jobs/),
[4](http://www.joc.com/trucking-logistics/labor/truck-driving-still-dangerous-job_20130830.html)).
Why isn't there more being done to make this occupation safer,
especially when technology can help. Why hasn't OSHA weighed
in and DoT not addressed it? Alain
NUTONOMY SECURES $3.6M TO FUND SELF-DRIVING CAR TECHNOLOGY
Jan. 28 " nuTonomy Inc., developer of advanced software for
autonomous vehicles, today announced it has closed a $3.6M seed
funding round, with investments from Signal Ventures, Samsung
Ventures, Fontinalis Partners and Dr. Steven LaValle. The funding
will help support nuTonomy's continued work in the U.S. as well as
in Singapore, where industry and government are jointly piloting
autonomous vehicle technology. nuTonomy's software is currently
being integrated and tested by automotive partners in both the
U.S. and Europe, with the goal of deploying self-driving features
within the next few years..." [Read more](http://fontinalis.com/nutonomy-secures-3-6m-fund-self-driving-car-technology/) Hmmmm...Very exciting!
Alain
Ford leader discusses the future of transportation
S. Hill Feb 9, "The way people and things move around will change
significantly the next few years, and that change will be as
dramatic as the switch from horses to automobiles, Ford Motor Co.
executive chairman Bill Ford said Wednesday. "The mobility
revolution is going to affect all of us personally and many of us
professionally," said Ford..." [Read more](http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article60925452.html) Hmmmm...Yup! Alain
Why Driverless Cars Will Screech to a Halt
Feb 17, "...It's time to hit the brakes for a reality
check...." [Read more](http://observer.com/2016/02/why-driverless-cars-will-screech-to-a-halt/) Hmmmm...Presented here to balance out much of the
hype, but this hypes the other end of the spectrum. Sure this
will take time and there is much to do, but the business case
is so strong, it will happen sooner rather than later. Way
too much money and societal benefits on the table. Alain
Some other thoughts that
deserve your attention
Uber’s CEO says regulators doomed a company just like his 100 years ago — and he won’t let it happen again
C. Cutter, Feb 16, “… Maybe so, but the man who has critics everywhere — taxi unions, UberX drivers, local governments, even logo designers — made a case to the audience assembled at the TED conference in Vancouver that he and his company should be viewed more as reformers than bullies. Regulators are the real problem, he argued.
To illustrate his point, he spent much of his talk comparing his
company to a historical innovation: the first jitney bus, which
began operating in Los Angeles in 1914 as a response to
overcrowding on the local trolley system. The jitney soon
gained in popularity, attracting more riders, and spread to
other cities. In its first year, 157,000 people per day were
riding the buses in LA; Uber is currently doing about 150,000
rides per day in the city, Kalanick said. .." [Read more](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ubers-ceo-says-has-lot-common-transportation-doomed-100-chip-cutter) Hmmmm...I do love Uber;
However, there are roughly 15 million vehicular trips per
day taken by LA's 3.8 million residents. So Uber is
skimming the "one-percent" cream without being burdened with
any crap. Now that's a nice business! Alain
NHTSA Request Tops $1B; Big Push for Driverless Cars
M. Barash., Feb 9, “The safe integration of connected and autonomous vehicles is one of NHTSA’s priorities under President Obama’s $1.18 billion fiscal 2017 budget request for the agency.
The appropriations request for the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration includes $73 million more than the
President requested for operations for FY 2016, plus $200
million for the first year of a projected 10-year autonomous
vehicle pilot program. The program would cost $3.9 billion over
the next decade, according to "[highlights](http://src.bna.com/cyi)"
prepared by the Transportation Department...." [Read more](http://www.bna.com/nhtsa-request-tops-n57982067319/)Hmmmm...OK! Alain
How Much Warmer Was Your City in 2015?
K. Lai, Feb 19 “Scientists declared that 2015 was Earth’s hottest year on record. In a database of 3,116 cities provided by AccuWeather, about 90 percent of them were warmer than normal. Enter your city in the field below to see how much warmer it was last year. Read moreHmmmm…Very
interesting interactive site. Alain
On the More Technical Side
http://orfe.princeton.edu/~alaink/SmartDrivingCars/Papers/
Recompiled Old News & Smiles:
Meet Zoox, the Robo-Taxi Start-up Taking on Google and Uber
M. Harris, May 20, 2015You wait for years for a self-driving taxi, then four come along at once. Google and Uber’s efforts have been well publicized, and IEEE Spectrum broke the news in February that Nissan was also developing a robotic cab. Now we can reveal exclusive details about a startup that hopes to put fully autonomous taxis on the road by 2020. “..” Read more Hmmmm…Reasonably thorough description and comments. Alain
###
Half-baked stuff that
probably doesn't deserve your time:
###
C’mon Man! (These folks
didn't get/read the memo)
Nissan’s self-parking office chair is here to make your Monday better
C. Plant, Feb 15, "Inspired by the technology and learning behind
its self-parking cars, Nissan designed what it calls the
"Intelligent Parking Chair...." [Read more](http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/15/10996234/nissans-self-parking-chair-car) Hmmmm...Inspired!?? Nissan
has nothing better to do? Even free, would you want it???? [C'mon Man!](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiY-Zq_joTLAhXIlB4KHYvSDsgQtwIIIjAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DXSYiSVRWIHU&usg=AFQjCNFTNXnmaHJ6yj5ipFook70UyP9-IQ&sig2=c59EUxawsTtqP36vIuofmQ&bvm=bv.114733917,d.dmo) Alain
###
Calendar of
Upcoming Events:
The Business of Autonomous Vehicles
March 22-23, 2016
Crowne Plaza Hotel, San Francisco Airport
Recent
Highlights of:
#
###
February 9, 2016
Budget of the U.S. Government, FY 2017
Feb. 9, “…(3) Accelerate the integration of autonomous vehicles, low-carbon technologies, and intelligent transportation systems into our infrastructure….
- Providing almost $400 million on average per year in funding over the next 10 years for the deployment of self-driving vehicles. Investments would help develop connected infrastructure and smart sensors that can communicate with autonomous vehicles, support R&D to ensure these vehicles are safe and road ready, and expand at-scale deployment projects to provide “proving grounds” for autonomous self-driving and connected vehicles in urban and highway settings.
Read moreHmmmm…major
victory...not only: "...for autonomous
self-driving...", bit also
stated before: "... and connected...".
Alain
January 28, 2016
London’s first driverless cars revealed
The consortium behind the trial has decided to adapt electric passenger shuttles that are currently in service at Heathrow Airport for use in Greenwich. Unlike the Heathrow pods, they will not need dedicated tracks.
The Greenwich trial is one of
four in the UK to test
driverless technology and public
reaction to it..."This vehicle
has millions of miles under its
belt and now we have to take it
outside of the track and modify
it for use on pavements," he
added. The so-called UltraPODs
currently in service at Heathrow
carry passengers between the car
park and Terminal 5. In the five
years they have been in use,
they have carried 1.5 million
passengers and traveled three
million kilometers (1.8 million
miles)...." [Read more](http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35432687) Hmmm...Wow!!
... PRT evolving to
be autonomousTaxis!
Wow!!! :-) Alain
January 14, 2016
###
Obama’s $4 Billion Plan for Self-Driving Cars Will Make Google Very Happy
M. Bergen, Jan 14 “The Obama Administration has seen the self-driving future, and it’s jumping aboard. At the Detroit auto show on Thursday morning, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx will unveil a plan to develop a national blueprint for autonomous driving technology within the next six months. He will also announce that President Obama is planning to insert $4 billion into the 2017 budget for a 10-year plan to support and “accelerate” vehicle automation projects.
"We are on the cusp of a new era
in automotive technology with
enormous potential to save
lives, reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, and transform
mobility for the American
people," Secretary Foxx said in
a statement. ...But here's the
part of Foxx's talk that
really matters for Google:
These national rules will
allow fully driverless cars..."
[Read More](http://recode.net/2016/01/14/obamas-4-billion-plan-for-self-driving-cars-will-make-google-very-happy/) Hmmm...
A [few months ago](http://www.its.dot.gov/press/2015/ngv_tech_announcement.htm) it was
$42M for Connected
Vehicles. Today it is
100x for automated
vehicles! Finally
Secretary Foxx.."[YES! YES! JESUS H. TAP-DANCING CHRIST... I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX5tfRdkoY0)"
(Blue Brothers)
Yea!!!!! :-)
Alain
January 3, 2016
Google Pairs With Ford To Build Self-Driving Cars
J. Hyde & S. Carty, Dec. 21 “Google and Ford will create a joint venture to build self-driving vehicles with Google’s technology, a huge step by both companies toward a new business of automated ride sharing, …According to three sources familiar with the plans, the partnership is set to be announced by Ford at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. By pairing with Google, Ford gets a massive boost in self-driving software development; while the automaker has been experimenting with its own systems for years, it only revealed plans this month to begin testing on public streets in California….
Google already has several links
to Ford; the head of the
self-driving car project, John
Krafcik, worked for 14 years at
Ford, including a stint as head
of truck engineering, and
several other ex-Ford employees
work in the unit as well. Former
Ford chief executive Alan
Mulally joined Google's board
last year.
And Ford executives have been
clear for years that the company
was ready to embrace a future
where cars were sold as
on-demand services. Ford CEO
Mark Fields has repeatedly said
Ford was thinking of itself "as
a mobility company," and what
that would mean for its
business" [Read more](https://www.yahoo.com/autos/google-pairs-with-ford-to-1326344237400118.html) Hmmm...Not
surprising and not
exclusive. :-) Alain
December 19, 2015
Adam Jonas’ View on Autonomous Cars
Video similar to part of Adam’s Luncheon talk @ 2015 Florida Automated Vehicle Symposium on Dec 1. Hmmm … Watch Video especially
at the 13:12 mark.
Compelling; especially after
the 60 Minutes segment
above! Also see his [TipRanks](https://www.tipranks.com/analysts/adam-jonas).
Alain
###
October 02, 2015
###
“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 and watch 60 minutes on Sunday Oct 4. This is really becoming mainstream. Congratulations Ralf! Alain August 28, 2015
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
July 3, 2015
###
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
May 29, 2015
###
###
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
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