, no license, no insurance, no registration.

Here they're the worst drivers.
Always entertaining seeing the news "...Picked up for DUI (Driving Under the Influence) while un-licensed in an un-registered vehicle, for the 4th, 5th, 8th time..."

Different reason. Illegals can't obtain them no matter how good they dive. Drunks can't get them because they are such bad drivers.

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And one of the most interesting points made towards the end of the show, was that as car safety has improved greatly over the years (suspension, tyres, roads, car strength, ability to absorb impact etc) people's driving has become less cautious, more aggressive/reckless. The safer roads & cars become, the less care people take while driving, so

making something idiot proof really does result in a better idiot.

Regarding turning the wheels to the curb, do cars that have automatic parallel parking do that when they finish?

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Regarding turning the wheels to the curb, do cars that have automatic parallel parking do that when they finish?

They would need to know if they were facing uphill or downhill, don't think current cars have a sensor for that.

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Regarding turning the wheels to the curb, do cars that have automatic parallel parking do that when they finish?

They would need to know if they were facing uphill or downhill, don't think current cars have a sensor for that.

Cars with stability controls would have accelerometers which would know which way was up.

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Regarding turning the wheels to the curb, do cars that have automatic parallel parking do that when they finish?

They would need to know if they were facing uphill or downhill, don't think current cars have a sensor for that.

Cars with stability controls would have accelerometers which would know which way was up.

I'm thinking you'd need inclinometers.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Regarding turning the wheels to the curb, do cars that have automatic parallel parking do that when they finish?

They would need to know if they were facing uphill or downhill, don't think current cars have a sensor for that.

Cars with stability controls would have accelerometers which would know which way was up.

I'm thinking you'd need inclinometers.

No. Accelerometers (3 axis) are what are inside a smartphone and it knows up. After all gravity is an acceleration. Remember your general relativity.

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I'm thinking you'd need inclinometers.

No. Accelerometers (3 axis) are what are inside a smartphone and it knows up. After all gravity is an acceleration. Remember your general relativity.

Yep.
But would the accelerometers in a car be sensitive enough to be effective on a slight slope (considering they have to deal with considerable vibration in general operation)?
I guess it would depends how good the software is.

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Grant
Darwin NT

I'm thinking you'd need inclinometers.

No. Accelerometers (3 axis) are what are inside a smartphone and it knows up. After all gravity is an acceleration. Remember your general relativity.

Yep.
But would the accelerometers in a car be sensitive enough to be effective on a slight slope (considering they have to deal with considerable vibration in general operation)?
I guess it would depends how good the software is.

Two other things just came to mind:

GPS map databse which may have altitude information.

How is the software to know there is a curb? Wheels turn a different direction.

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I'm thinking you'd need inclinometers.

No. Accelerometers (3 axis) are what are inside a smartphone and it knows up. After all gravity is an acceleration. Remember your general relativity.

Yep.
But would the accelerometers in a car be sensitive enough to be effective on a slight slope (considering they have to deal with considerable vibration in general operation)?
I guess it would depends how good the software is.

Two other things just came to mind:

GPS map databse which may have altitude information.

How is the software to know there is a curb? Wheels turn a different direction.

I haven't looked into it, but I assume there are sensors to help it navigate into the parking space, which should also tell it whether there's a curb and where it is.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

I'm thinking you'd need inclinometers.

No. Accelerometers (3 axis) are what are inside a smartphone and it knows up. After all gravity is an acceleration. Remember your general relativity.

Yep.
But would the accelerometers in a car be sensitive enough to be effective on a slight slope (considering they have to deal with considerable vibration in general operation)?
I guess it would depends how good the software is.

Two other things just came to mind:

GPS map databse which may have altitude information.

How is the software to know there is a curb? Wheels turn a different direction.

Don't count on GPS. It is good to maybe + or - 20 meters. Your moving map looks good because the software clicks you to the nearest road. Watch it when you drive past a shallow Y in the road, it can get tricked and show you on the wrong branch for a few seconds.

Car accelerometers I'm familiar with sense horizontal plane accelerations, for anti-skid braking and such. Nothing showing vertical offset. The parking assist sensors look for other cars, not curbs.

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http://patch.com/illinois/algonquin/s/fsmp2/authorities-id-man-killed-in-tractor-versus-train-crash

This hits a bit too close to home. The UP at this crossing is right next to the museum main and west station lead. This might force us to finally put in gates. The two railroads are too close together for one to have gates and the other not. Our gates would have to be linked to theirs. This is complicated by the fact that we're electrified.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

http://patch.com/illinois/algonquin/s/fsmp2/authorities-id-man-killed-in-tractor-versus-train-crash

This hits a bit too close to home. The UP at this crossing is right next to the museum main and west station lead. This might force us to finally put in gates. The two railroads are too close together for one to have gates and the other not. Our gates would have to be linked to theirs. This is complicated by the fact that we're electrified.

Without seeing that intersection I can't comment on that crash.

However the vast majority of crashes at signal less level crossings here are a result of people either not stopping & looking (If they had looked, they'd see the train) or thinking they can beat it, turns out they can't.
Whether there are signals, or signals with gates depends on the amount of traffic & the frequency of trains.
There are some signals on low traffic crossings due to the location of the crossing on a curve of the track- it's not possible to see the trains until they're there.

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Grant
Darwin NT

http://patch.com/illinois/algonquin/s/fsmp2/authorities-id-man-killed-in-tractor-versus-train-crash

This hits a bit too close to home. The UP at this crossing is right next to the museum main and west station lead. This might force us to finally put in gates. The two railroads are too close together for one to have gates and the other not. Our gates would have to be linked to theirs. This is complicated by the fact that we're electrified.

And I see the Hiway department calls them two seperate crossings. I could see how someone going north seeing the two tracks sign could confuse your two tracks as one and the UP as the second.

Also looking at the crossing is there actually enough room for a full size semi to sit between the two RR's? If not it really is a single crossing and mismarked for road drivers.

As to signals, electrified might be an issue, but I suspect it will be their equipment and you will have to supply signal indications at their electrical specifications. So you have to put in a relay box to connect to theirs. Of course if you don't have block signals on that track, that is another issue.

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I'm thinking you'd need inclinometers.

No. Accelerometers (3 axis) are what are inside a smartphone and it knows up. After all gravity is an acceleration. Remember your general relativity.

Yep.
But would the accelerometers in a car be sensitive enough to be effective on a slight slope (considering they have to deal with considerable vibration in general operation)?
I guess it would depends how good the software is.

I don't know about cars, except those fitted with a smart phone, but smart phones also have gyroscopes on all three axis. Which should be able to detect changes of less than a third of a degree of rotation.

Gyroscopes measure the speed and angle of rotation of the watch along three different axes i.e. how fast the device is spinning in any of three directions. Accelerometers measure the acceleration of the device along the same axes. Using these sensors together, apps on the phone or watch can detect specific movement.
Just to worry you about smart phones, it is possible using the motion detectors, to be able to monitor your keystrokes, and deduce things like passwords and pins.

I'm thinking you'd need inclinometers.

No. Accelerometers (3 axis) are what are inside a smartphone and it knows up. After all gravity is an acceleration. Remember your general relativity.

Yep.
But would the accelerometers in a car be sensitive enough to be effective on a slight slope (considering they have to deal with considerable vibration in general operation)?
I guess it would depends how good the software is.

I don't know about cars, except those fitted with a smart phone, but smart phones also have gyroscopes on all three axis. Which should be able to detect changes of less than a third of a degree of rotation.

Gyroscopes measure the speed and angle of rotation of the watch along three different axes i.e. how fast the device is spinning in any of three directions. Accelerometers measure the acceleration of the device along the same axes. Using these sensors together, apps on the phone or watch can detect specific movement.
Just to worry you about smart phones, it is possible using the motion detectors, to be able to monitor your keystrokes, and deduce things like passwords and pins.

Well, A single gyro can tell you your latitude. It can sense the rotation of the earth and from that work out how far north or south of the equator you are. I doubt the ones in smart phones are that sensitive though. Give it one more data item, the time (GMT), and it now knows your longitude. It is called an inertial navigation system. As long as it knows the time no matter how it is moved it will always know where it is. Even on a rocket ship to Pluto.

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Trucker’s dash cam video shows amazing near miss with a car

NEAR COOMA, Australia - A truck driver in Australia had a very close call with a daring driver and the video of his encounter has gone viral.

Richie Gillman was driving a semi truck on Monaro Highway near Cooma, Australia Friday and his dash cam caught the amazing near miss with a small car that zipped passed him and narrowly avoided a head-on crash with another truck.

Gillman says another trucker behind him called over the radio to alert him of the passing car.

He says his heart sank as the car cut in front of him.

The driver of the car sped away. No one was injured and the car never stopped.

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People in the car are now in need of new underwear - did you see the puff of (brown) smoke just after the car got back in lane???

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

People in the car are now in need of new underwear - did you see the puff of (brown) smoke just after the car got back in lane???

I wonder if that was an individual puff or a collective one. :-)

Used to get that at least once a day, some of which put my heart in my mouth :-(

Trucker’s dash cam video shows amazing near miss with a car

I'm more convinced than ever that even before people go for their driving theory test they need to sit a d&*($head test. If you are one, you don't get to drive a car or truck or ride a bike. If you're that lacking in common sense and/or patience then you'd be a danger to yourself & everyone else on the road; as that video shows so well.

Used to get that at least once a day, some of which put my heart in my mouth :-(

According to the driver it's not an unusual occurrence, but that one was much, much closer than usual.
"This happens too often on the Monaro Highway," he said.
"Usually we just ignore it but that close call shook me up a bit and the driver needs to be held accountable."
Dashcam footage shows car's near miss with truck on Monaro Highway
I think a "dangerous driving" or "driving without due care" charge would be appropriate.

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Grant
Darwin NT

Trucker’s dash cam video shows amazing near miss with a car

I'm more convinced than ever that even before people go for their driving theory test they need to sit a d&*($head test. If you are one, you don't get to drive a car or truck or ride a bike. If you're that lacking in common sense and/or patience then you'd be a danger to yourself & everyone else on the road; as that video shows so well.

Used to get that at least once a day, some of which put my heart in my mouth :-(

According to the driver it's not an unusual occurrence, but that one was much, much closer than usual.
"This happens too often on the Monaro Highway," he said.
"Usually we just ignore it but that close call shook me up a bit and the driver needs to be held accountable."
Dashcam footage shows car's near miss with truck on Monaro Highway
I think a "dangerous driving" or "driving without due care" charge would be appropriate.

I've been seeing this type of stupidity for over 45yrs now and I still see it on the New England Hwy here often enough (even doing it while going through this village with a 50km/h limit), but some arn't so lucky.

Cheers.