James undoubtedly what you say has merit and is well founded. I distinctly remember a conversation in one of these forums ( maybe the older IEE) where Peter Sheppard was discussing the public's perception of safety with an Australian gentleman; whose name I unfortunately forget. It was a powerful discussion as to how safety is perceived by the Driver, passenger and ultimately the passenger without a train driver. In summary ...As the human is abstracted from control of their external environment the perception of that safe environment drammatically changes. Its an interesting idea and one that really stuck in my head.
The first London Underground automatic system although capable of being driverless still necessitated a driver thanks to the Unions ( Somebody can quote the line and year) so it probably didn't realise the benefits of a reduction in human staff. As another thought ,perhaps the name of driver has to now disappear as they are really only attendants or a reinvention of the guard.
James Shaw:
David,
I think the main objections to driverless trains would come from the unions, the passengers aren't aware of the driver at all. I doubt if even little boys walk up to the head of the platform to see the engine and hopefully get to speak to the driver anymore. (A few months ago I was waiting in a delayed Paddington-bound express, a bit annoyed with myself that I had chosen it rather than the stopping train that should have followed it. Eventually we were told that they were waiting on a member of the train crew. Possibly the 'sandwich seller'? After a short pause we were given the additional bit of information that he was, err, the driver!).
I mostly enjoy driving my car but not in stop-go traffic and not on motorways, which are boring and scary when free-running 70 mph traffic abruptly changes to stop-go but how many drivers noticed? I would love to lock my car to the wire then.
The human perception of risk will also be a factor, we are a lot happier usually when we think we have control than when we give that control to others. Familiarity helps too. When the railways started some people didn't feel it would be safe to go faster than a horse and now 100 mph plus is commonplace. When one considers that the trains stay on the rails not by some sophisticated steering system but by the self-stabilising action of a pair of cones.. well I'd rather not consider it! (There is a subject for a "Why Engineer?" school talk here, all those little things that we rely on without a thought, the bolt that doesn't break, the screw that holds - built on centuries of knowledge and attention to detail).
James undoubtedly what you say has merit and is well founded. I distinctly remember a conversation in one of these forums ( maybe the older IEE) where Peter Sheppard was discussing the public's perception of safety with an Australian gentleman; whose name I unfortunately forget. It was a powerful discussion as to how safety is perceived by the Driver, passenger and ultimately the passenger without a train driver. In summary ...As the human is abstracted from control of their external environment the perception of that safe environment drammatically changes. Its an interesting idea and one that really stuck in my head.
The first London Underground automatic system although capable of being driverless still necessitated a driver thanks to the Unions ( Somebody can quote the line and year) so it probably didn't realise the benefits of a reduction in human staff. As another thought ,perhaps the name of driver has to now disappear as they are really only attendants or a reinvention of the guard.
James Shaw:
David,
I think the main objections to driverless trains would come from the unions, the passengers aren't aware of the driver at all. I doubt if even little boys walk up to the head of the platform to see the engine and hopefully get to speak to the driver anymore. (A few months ago I was waiting in a delayed Paddington-bound express, a bit annoyed with myself that I had chosen it rather than the stopping train that should have followed it. Eventually we were told that they were waiting on a member of the train crew. Possibly the 'sandwich seller'? After a short pause we were given the additional bit of information that he was, err, the driver!).
I mostly enjoy driving my car but not in stop-go traffic and not on motorways, which are boring and scary when free-running 70 mph traffic abruptly changes to stop-go but how many drivers noticed? I would love to lock my car to the wire then.
The human perception of risk will also be a factor, we are a lot happier usually when we think we have control than when we give that control to others. Familiarity helps too. When the railways started some people didn't feel it would be safe to go faster than a horse and now 100 mph plus is commonplace. When one considers that the trains stay on the rails not by some sophisticated steering system but by the self-stabilising action of a pair of cones.. well I'd rather not consider it! (There is a subject for a "Why Engineer?" school talk here, all those little things that we rely on without a thought, the bolt that doesn't break, the screw that holds - built on centuries of knowledge and attention to detail).
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