Driverless Autos
The promise:
The benefits of driverless cars are potentially significant. The typical American spends an average of roughly 100 hours a year in traffic; imagine using that time in better ways — by working or just having fun.
One obstacle:
The driverless car is illegal in all 50 states. Google, which has been at the forefront of this particular technology, is asking the Nevada legislature to relax restrictions on the cars so it can test some of them on roads there. Unfortunately, the very necessity for this lobbying is a sign of our ambivalence toward change.
Meanwhile:
Transportation is one area where progress has been slow for decades. We’re still flying 747s, a plane designed in the 1960s. Many rail and bus networks have contracted. And traffic congestion is worse than ever.
Full NYT editorial by Tyler Cowen is worth reading.
Human reaction time is also a contributor to congestion. Randal O’Toole of the CATO institute (A supporter of Driverless Autos)believes that 50% of congestion is attributed to slow reaction time, and could be ameliorated with the use of computers with quicker reaction times than humans. This could also translate into safer, more energy efficient use of automobiles.
Sounds like something I could use.
This is a better idea than the billions we’re spending on high-speed rail.
As most changes are bad, it would seem that an ambivalence towards change is generally good. Therefore, the burden of proof is on Google.
Presumably it already has results from other tests on private roads that demonstrate safety in simulated traffic conditions, something that would not require legislative approval. The next step would be to put a driver in the driverless car with the ability to take control if necessary. Presumably this wouldn’t require legislative action either as there is still a driver in the car. Then, ask a third party that knows cars and accidents to test the design further.
If Google is asking for legislation, one presumes all of these tests have been done. If that’s the case, why wouldn’t permission be forthcoming? Even politicians want to be driven.
But to claim that we all hate progress is just unnecessary. There really isn’t any need to libel the whole population for “still flying 747s, a plane designed in the 1960s.” Never mind that it has gone through numerous model changes, or that engines and airline management systems have changed dramatically, perhaps the design is an economically efficient one that can’t be improved upon without without wholly new materials or economic conditions.
Some designs hit engineering sweet spots and hang around for a long time–books, hammers, toothbrushes, revolvers, automobiles, pencils, ballpoints, the two piece aluminum can, and the incandescent light bulb come immediately to mind.
I wonder if the driverless car would feature a WI-FI network connection to inform nearby driverless cars of its presence and in order to coordinate maneuvers.
I have noticed that part of the reason traffic slows down when a lane is blocked by an accident is because cars in the blocked lane attempt to merge into the adjacent lane at a very slow speed. It’s sort of like people are afraid to jump out into traffic at a speed faster than 10 mph, which forces the oncoming traffic to slow to that speed.
I also wonder if having a computer driving the car would allow for increased highway speeds?
I’m definitely a proponent of driverless autos. That would make my life so much less stressful on 635 in the mornings and evenings.
I’m am quite interested to see the results of Google’s lobbying efforts and future tests. Their initial results look quite promising, from what I’ve seen, and I could certainly see the value in this.
A proliferation of driverless cars could make life easier for law enforcement officials as well. 100% adoption of driverless cars would greatly reduce speeding and other traffic violations (requiring local governments to find a replacement for ticket revenue or cut back on spending), though there would probably always be people who would find ways to override the car computers, for whatever reason.
Think how much time we waste driving. What if all that time could be spent productively, instead? The thought is intriguing.
I think, and I hope, that driverless vehicles will be on the road faster than many people expect.
If anyone would like to read more, keep up on driverless news, or discuss the benefits and problems with driverless cars please come to DriverlessWorld.com.