Guest commentary: Tallahassee madness - expanding Florida's self-driving car law

Based on the confounded knowledge that a horse tied to a stable stake would kick its owner when left unattended, the 21st Century wisdom of our current Tallahassee talent team in the state legislature is to expand Florida's self-driving car law.

This is not a joke! See page 21A, Naples Daily News, April 5.

A bill has been approved, states the article, which would pave the way for companies like Uber and Lyft to deploy fleets of driverless vehicles on our highways and roads. Fleets? Fleet!

A Republican sponsor (Rep. Jason Fischer) wants the Sunshine State to be ahead of other states in allowing these driverless vehicles on state highways as the "technology continues ... " to develop.

How do you like that? Sort of like sending Alan Shepherd in to space when the rockets weren't fueled.

Methinks Rep. Fischer doesn't drive back and forth to the State Capitol on a daily basis during the legislative session he is committed to attend.

And to prove his argument for driverless transportation (wouldst that he might consider a drone?) Rep. Fischer's separate bill spells out how he would allow " ... texting and other distractions while driving. Fischer's addendum to this idiotic position is " ... if there is a person behind the wheel of the self-driving car, he or she could watch television or text if the automated driving system is engaged … "

This gregarious fellow was elected here in Florida. To represent his constituents and he has pledged to protect and defend the properties of our sovereign state.

That 94 percent of fatal motor accidents in 2017 were caused by human error .

This driverless car advocate believes "these vehicles are designed in a way to operate much more intelligently than a human driver … "

Well, Mr. Fischer, an engineer by career advancement, according to him, your driverless position needs to be tested on Interstate 75, on any given day, Alligator Alley, Florida Route 82 on any given day; I-4, I-95, I-10 .

Perhaps Mr. Fischer should go back to horses and buggies (to which he refers in the NDN article) because embracing the technology he espouses would certainly increase the fatal Florida motor vehicle death rate to which he wishes to tie this stupid bill .

If you've driven any of the aforementioned roadways any time in the past six months, you might send Rep. Fischer a note. Send it with Uber or Lyft to Tallahassee.

Driverless vehicles on our Florida roads?  

Tallahassee Madness. Don't these folks have something constructive to do?