Mercedes-Benz debuts turquoise exterior lights to indicate the car is self-driving | A visual indicator for other drivers::undefined

    • davidgro@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Same reason at this point as “Student Driver” bumper stickers - so you know it’s inexperienced and may behave weirdly, so maybe keep a bit more distance than usual or something.

    • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      So you don’t call the cops when you overtake them and see then eating a bowl of cereal, jerking it, while watching Flinstones.

    • saltesc@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      That’s what I thought. I can only imagine idiots will see it and try fuck with it. Anyone else be like, “Okay… So just keep doing what I’m currently doing.”

      It’s marketing, if anything.

      My theory on Audi bringing out animated indicators was that they were quickly getting a damaging reputation of Audi drivers not using indicators; a reputation their competitor BMW is negatively married to. To prevent this, they appealed to making them unique and special, no one else had them, so the drivers would want to use them. Thus actively mitigating brand damage on BMW levels.

    • JohnEdwa
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      11 months ago

      I would love to have an indicator for adaptive cruise control because the way it only reacts to the car right in front of you rather aggressively means it causes shockwave traffic jams unless the human driver behind you keeps enough distance.

      • lud@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        Humans are already experts at causing shockwave traffic jams, so I wouldn’t count on them to reduce them.

        • Thassodar@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          I can only imagine assholes messing with the car MORE because the lights are on.

          • lud@lemm.ee
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            11 months ago

            Apparently the car can only drive slowly automatically when you are stuck in traffic. So it shouldn’t be a huge problem

      • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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        11 months ago

        The ACC in my car maintains a good bit of distance to the car ahead and doesn’t respond suddenly to things coming closer than that distance. I’ve rarely if ever seen it brake inappropriately.