Driverless cars: How far away from realization in Canada are we?

Sat, 2015-06-20 22:56

NorthReport

It was mentioned on CBC radio today that Suncor has already purchased 175 driverless trucks for use in the Oil Sands. Apparently this is rapidly coming to mainstream Canada. How soon will it be before we have driverless vehicles on our roads in Canada and what will be the ramifications to us as a society?

Driverless Cars: Insurers Cannot be Asleep at the Wheel

Sat, 2015-06-20 22:59

#3

NorthReport

I wonder what the Teamsters and other related unions think about this.

How Canada’s oilsands are paving the way for driverless trucks — and the threat of big layoffs

http://business.financialpost.com/news/energy/how-canadas-oilsands-are-p...

Sat, 2015-06-20 23:01

#4

NorthReport

Will Suncor's driverless trucks put Alberta truck drivers out of work?

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-238-charleston-s-ame-church-the-blo...

Sun, 2015-06-21 15:46

#5

NorthReport

How driverless cars could revolutionise old age

Study finds poor public transport curtails lives of almost 1.5 million elderly people in England

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/11684562/...

Sun, 2015-06-21 20:42

#6

lagatta

Hardly a surprise from the Telegraph, far from an advocate for public transport and the environment. Yes, they could be useful in rural areas, but as part of a public transport scheme in low-density areas. The solution in cities is ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT, not any kind of fucking cars. I do hope that they'll be programmed to stop or swerve for non-human as well as human beings.

Cars are death.

Sun, 2015-06-21 22:19

#7

mark_alfred

Driverless cars would be cool. But I think I'm even more interested in a society where all drivers are car-less.

Mon, 2015-06-22 12:09

#8

lagatta

m-a, yes, I agree. I have several friends who no longer own a car and use CommunAuto carshare. Some of these people have children and couldn't live completely carfree, but it means not mindlessly taking the car. Also, they have an increasing number of electric and hybrid vehicles, which many individuals couldn't afford.

Mon, 2015-06-22 12:34

#9

Slumberjack

Automation will eventually render the bulk of the planet's workforce superfluous. The driverless oil patch trucks are merely part of a trend long in the making. Ultimately no one will be able to afford the latest offerings from automated production lines because we'll all be unemployed.

Mon, 2015-06-22 18:17

#10

Mr. Magoo

Dunno about a small handful of pretty specialized trucks at the oil patch, but from what I've read, the autopilot in "driverless trucks" for highway haulage will -- at least for a while -- still require a human driver in case of problems the same way that commercial airliners still require pilots. If they're actually going to be safer and more fuel efficient that that's a win/win, isn't it?

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/62625/20150622/daimler-s-driverless-tr...