Self Driving Cars Hit the Road in The Villages: Revolutionary Change for Retirees?

There sure are a lot of companies eager to get people into driverless vehicles. But why? Just because we have the technology to do it? What is the advantage for most people to use such a vehicle over the current alternatives? Unless the driverless vehicle is subsidized so that it is free or nearly free to use, why would I use it over Uber or a taxi or one of the transportation services specifically for seniors?

How would you interact with a driverless vehicle to tell it to drop you off at the side door of a building where there aren't any steps or to help you out of the vehicle or to carry your groceries up to the door? I just don't understand the value to me of using one of these. Maybe they would be useful in a closed circuit like hop on hop off busses running between fixed points. Otherwise, if I can no longer drive, I'd prefer a human to make sure I get where I want to go and to assist me if I should need help.

No way! The technology of self driving cars is very immature and unreliable! We are years away from a device that can safely and reliable drive itself!

I'm very optimistic that new technologies will make aging a lot easier for us that it was for our parents but not sure I'd jump into driverless just yet, too many stories on the news about problems with that technology. For now, if I couldn't drive I'd be happy with Uber, Lyft, and online ordering, and possibly online Dr. consults which are becoming more available.

I think the driverless car is definitely a safer option for our future (assuming we live long enough to get there). The situation described in the Villages is one I would immediately volunteer for -- backup driver in limited area at max 25mph -- if you live there why not?

Ron is right, the technology isn't there now -- but it will be fairly soon (5 years? 10?). Most of us interact today with voice enabled phone answering systems -- they have improved remarkably in the past 10 years. We may hate the menus, but they mostly work. A better version will be included in true driverless cars as will improved artificial intelligence. Personal help other than the transportation is not currently the objective -- but that is likely also in the future in various forms. (Robots, hover lift vehicles, drones, etc.)

We've all read or heard of the few incidents where some current driverless car test has caused an accident and even resulted in death. Today in the US we kill 10s of thousands on our roads every years. Distracted driving is an increasing threat to all of us. Whether you believe or not, the future driveless car is a practical and near ideal resolution to these concerns. Do I expect perfection? Well, I would LIKE perfection but there will always be incidents. Still, I'll take a few thousand incidents over 10s of thousands of deaths anytime -- especially when even the fender-benders will be near eliminated.

I feel The Villages is the perfect place to test the driverless cars, I wouldn't hesitate to get in one. I've been to The Villages several times visiting friends and I felt I could never move there due to the golf carts noise of constant breaking and gassing and they are lined up at some intersection 10 deep. it is a good way to get around but have witnessed a few accidents -none serious- with these folks driving like crazy people. Driverless cars may be safer!

" the technology isn’t there now" ... "A Navy Ship Sailed to Hawaii and Back With No One on Board" ... https://www.military.com/defensetech/2019/02/15/navy-ship-sailed-hawaii-and-back-no-one-board.html?ESRC=eb_190218.nl