# Observed a driverless car making a mistake today **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775 "2018-09-27T02:11:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/1 "2018-09-27T02:11:16Z")
Nothing serious, just another data point. What appeared to be a driverless car was making a left turn from a 6 lane highway to a 2 lane road during afternoon commute. Directly crossing my path. It had the protection of a left hand turn light (arrow), so I was waiting for it on a red light in my direction. The road it was turning onto was backed up all the way to the intersection, not moving. Instead of waiting for the intersection to clear (like a human driver would usually do to avoid inconveniencing others) the driverless car made the turn anyway, and got stuck in the middle of the intersection. The rest of us going straight – even though the light for us had turned green — we had to then wait a minute or two until the traffic cleared enough the driverless car could move out of the way. By then the light had turned red, so we had to wait for another light change. A little frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 5:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/2 "2018-09-27T05:05:07Z")
What was the reaction of the headless driver when you laid on the horn? ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 10:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/3 "2018-09-27T10:34:52Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > Instead of waiting for the intersection to clear (like a human driver would usually do to avoid inconveniencing others) Like a human driver would? Most of the so called human drivers here in the Wash.D.C. metro dont give a crap if they inconvenience anyone, including emergency vehicles. Since they feel they are the only really important people on the road. ---
**Author:** ![ulu4ulunnwa\_142512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ulu4ulunnwa\_142512](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ulu4ulunnwa_142512)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 10:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/4 "2018-09-27T10:43:05Z")
More casualty has been recorded ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 12:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/5 "2018-09-27T12:13:45Z")
> [@PvtPublic](#): > > Like a human driver would? Most of the so called human drivers here in the Wash.D.C. metro dont give a crap if they inconvenience anyone +1 A skilled, law-abiding, and considerate driver would not block an intersection, but that combination of qualities in the folks on the road seems to be in short supply nowadays. Surely I can’t be the only person who gets honked at by a jerk in back of me when I refuse to block an intersection. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/6 "2018-09-27T12:49:19Z")
Observed a drivered car making a mistake every day. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/7 "2018-09-27T12:54:05Z")
Computers are programmed by people. Some of those programmers do these dumb things. So the computer is programmed to ALSO do these dumb things! My first programming teacher used to say “Garbage in, Garbage out” ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/8 "2018-09-27T13:17:45Z")
Are driverless cars required to have a phone # prominently displayed for observers to call and report mistakes to the mfr? ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/9 "2018-09-27T13:45:18Z")
> [@PvtPublic](#): > > Most of the so called human drivers here in the Wash.D.C. metro dont give a crap if they inconvenience anyone, including emergency vehicles. I lived in the DC area for a few years. I thought you guys were bad drivers. Then I moved to the Minneapolis area. You guys are _awesome_ drivers by comparison. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 2:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/10 "2018-09-27T14:39:11Z")
The most ignored sign around here? Don’t block the box… ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/11 "2018-09-27T15:43:06Z")
I just can’t wait for 3 driverless cars to go down the interstate, side by side, doing the speed limit… ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/12 "2018-09-27T18:35:08Z")
I would assume that they are programmed to never exceed the speed limit, not limit +5 or +10 as most of us do. At one time, for many years, the Tobin Bridge (Boston) had a posted 15 MPH speed limit. Impossible to obey unless you want to be run over. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/13 "2018-09-27T21:43:05Z")
> [@shadowfax](#): > > I lived in the DC area for a few years. I thought you guys were bad drivers. Then I moved to the Minneapolis area. You guys are _awesome_ drivers by comparison Try South Carolina. Traffic lights are suggestions, and often ignored. My daughter calls it driving southern. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/14 "2018-09-27T21:57:22Z")
That’s becoming more and more of a problem here. I find myself pausing a few seconds after the light turns green. At least 15% of the time some idiot will bomb through the red 3 or 4 seconds after it turned. I suspect driving is getting worse all over as people get more wrapped up in themselves and care even less about everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/15 "2018-09-27T22:05:31Z")
> [@shadowfax](#): > > I find myself pausing a few seconds after the light turns green +1 There are a couple of intersections near my house where I would have been T-boned on multiple occasions if I had not learned to hesitate, and to look both ways before proceeding on a green light. ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/16 "2018-09-27T23:51:17Z")
Riding a motorcycle teaches you to not care if you have the right of way. You being in the right is a very small achievement if an F250 splatters you on the pavement. You only have the right of way if the guy that’s in a position to run over you agrees. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/17 "2018-09-28T13:14:26Z")
-1 I don’t wait when the light turns green. I look at all the intersecting streets to see I feel traffic is slowing to the light. That way I don’t have to wait. If someone approaches the intersection too fast, I wait Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 1:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/18 "2018-09-28T13:29:07Z")
When it’s a 4 lane divided highway and there’s a long line of cars in the turn lane on the other side of the median, you can’t always see if someone is coming or not. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/19 "2018-09-28T13:41:10Z")
It takes ten or more seconds to cross the closest lanes when making that left turn. I still have time to see if anyone is going to blow through the red light. I doubt that waiting about five seconds more will make much difference. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 12:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775/20 "2018-09-29T00:30:52Z")
> [@TwinTurbo](#): > > The most ignored sign around here? > Don’t block the box… I believe there are a few smaller cities in Southern california that claim to ticket drivers caught in the box But I can’t say for certain, because I’ve not been caught in the box in those areas > [@BillRussell](#): > > I would assume that they are programmed to never exceed the speed limit, not limit +5 or +10 as most of us do. Well, if they’re “only” doing the speed limit, then they’d better stay in the far right lane, lest they hold up everybody else 🤔 [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/observed-a-driverless-car-making-a-mistake-today/125775.md?page=2)