Researchers Fear Self Driving Cars Will Usher In Gridlock

Self-driving cars are expected to usher in a new era of mobility, safety and convenience. The problem, say transportation researchers, is that people will use them too much.

Experts foresee robot cars chauffeuring children to school, dance class and baseball practice. The disabled and elderly will have new mobility. Commuters will be able to work, sleep, eat or watch movies on the way to the office. People may stay home more because they can send their cars to do things like pick up groceries they’ve ordered online.

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TomM - 5/17/2016 3:43:22 PM

+3 Boost

AS the article pointed out - as long as autonomous vehicles share the lanes with driven cars - a lot of the benefits cannot be implemented. It will take a new road system - with some dedicated for autonomous vehicles only - to truly take advantage - and that won't be coming in my lifetime or that of my kids - the money and space is simply not there - especially in urban areas. I had lived in NJ - virtually all of my life - and the last major stretch of the interstate system - the one that connects I95 from Philadelphia - to the George Washington Bridge was never built - and today they estimate that it would cost more than the rest of ALL the interstate highways built COMBINED because of the value of the land that would have to be TAKEN - along with the needed overpasses - and construction through highly populated areas. It will never get built. THe cost to produce a separate road system for autonomous cars would be simply to great to even consider. You would have to move New York City onto a new tract of land to provide the space needed. Otherwise - tearing down large portions of cities would simply be beyond anyone's thoughts of affording.

TheSteve - 5/17/2016 4:21:07 PM

-1 Boost

The problem with most "researchers" is they try to predict the future using today's thinking.

MDarringer - 5/17/2016 7:19:53 PM

0 Boost

Hence the modus operandi of Tesla itself.

PUGPROUD - 5/17/2016 7:31:34 PM

0 Boost

Maybe maybe not. People will also own fewer cars relying heavily on fee for service companies to supply vehicles. A big issue for me is that unless the laws are changed autonomous driven cars will not be programed to exceed the speed limit and will slow traffic down considerably. The other day I drove 30 miles on an expressway with my cruise control set at the speed limit and I counted 127 cars that passed me in the left lane at speeds well above the limit.