How Would Driver-less Cars Change Motoring?

Hugh Pickens writes "BBC reports that as Nevada licenses Google to test its prototype driver-less car on public roads, futurists are postulating what a world of driver-less would cars look like. First, accidents would go down. 'Your automated car isn't sitting around getting distracted, making a phone call, looking at something it shouldn't be looking at or simply not keeping track of things,' says Danny Sullivan. Google's car adheres strictly to the speed limit and follows the rules of the road. 'It doesn't speed, it doesn't cut you off, it doesn't tailgate,' says Tom Jacobs, a spokesman for the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver-less cars would mean a more productive commute. 'If you truly trust the intelligence of the vehicle, then you get in the vehicle and you do our work while you're traveling,' says engineer Lynne Irwin. They would mean fewer traffic jams. 'Congestion would be something you could tell your grandchildren about, once upon a time.' Driver-less cars could extend car ownership to some groups of people previously unable to own a car, including elderly drivers who feel uncomfortable getting behind the wheel at night, whose eyesight has weakened or whose reaction time has slowed." Another reader points out an article suggesting autonomous cars could eventually spell the end of auto insurance.

Comments

It just doesn't work

[humbleguy]

Looking at Bing Maps I understand that roads in the U.S. cities are planned quite, well, systemically in grid (like in SimCity). But it isn't like that anywhere else in the world. Europe has tons of cities which aren't planned like that (hell, London too!) and Asia even more. In my city in Asia the roads are curvy and by looking at maps, there isn't any planning whatsoever.

But my city is also much older than any U.S. cities and much more personal. The streets are narrow, there's small little alleyways everywhere and most of all, most people use motorbikes to get around.

On top of that there are little traffic laws and/or people don't follow them so closely. You drive carefully and defensively, not aggressively. You consider other drivers too. Also, when stopped at lights all the motorbikes go around the cars to get to the front. Sometimes this includes going in front of cars if the way is blocked and they need to move to the other side to get to the front of the lights.

Then there is also the issue of cats and dogs roaming around, bumps on the street, and sometimes an elephant in front of you (and the elephants have turning lights on their ass - I kid you not!). In many places you also cannot see if someone is coming behind a corner. You honk to let them know. How is Google car supposed to see them when their censors can't see the car or motorbike?

All of this means that outside America, Google Car has little use. In fact they would be fatal to others on the road. And no, we aren't going to change the cities and driving practices just because some lazy American wants to use his self-driving car. I doubt Google has thought of this and they will be in for a big surprise when nobody but Americans can use them.

As a side question, why are American cities planned without any personal touch, but so "professionally"?