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Driverless pod artist's impression by O2 Arena (picture Phoenix Wings).pngImproved road maintenance needed for driverless cars says expert
Elizabeth Box, head of research at the RAC Foundation, has told NCE that ensuring roads are up to standard would be vital to ensure that automated vehicles would work. She also said that there were questions as to how driverless cars would interact with pedestrians and cyclists.
“What happens to walking and cycling?” she asked. “This technology might initially become more common in urban environments.”
The RAC Foundation is on the advisory board of the £8m Gateway project to evaluate driverless technology in Greenwich and Box said that there were a number of major challenges.
“Some of the technology in driverless vehicles relies on white lines, so road maintenance will be important. There are also questions about segregating pedestrians and vehicles – the way the infrastructure is developed depends on how the cars are ultimately used.”
However, as driverless cars would effectively communicate with one another, they could theoretically reduce congestion and run more efficiently.
“Cars would not operate in isolation anymore, so we could have a much more efficient system, along with more optimal braking and fuel use. Drivers are sceptical about losing control of their vehicles but over the next five to 10 years it will become much more familiar.”
However, RAC Foundation director, Stephen Glaister, pointed out that the technology could also mean more vehicles on the road.
“The door is open for almost everyone to have motorised mobility, from the very old to the very young to the frail. If you do away with licensing requirements then millions more people – and cars – could be on the road.
“The development of autonomous vehicles needs to go hand in hand with changes in highway management and car ownership.”
The government is currently in the process of rewriting legislation in a bid to ensure the UK becomes a world leader in driverless technology with one of the major issues being to establish who would be responsible in the event of a collision. Glaister has previously said that there is likely to be a shift from personal to product liability. Changes will be made to the Highway Code and MOT test guidelines with a new code of practice due within the next few months.
Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.
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Another thing about cars clubs. I've noticed that a lot of new properties in London are being built with spaces specifically for them, along with the overall number of parking spaces being heavily restricted.
Not just London. Central Oxford has a number of developments with no car spaces at all.
44 year old car club member here. Even if this puts more moving cars on the road it can also take all the parked ones off the road giving a net gain of road space and public space. Cars can drive themselves off to park quickly and densely in places where the public realm isn't cluttered.
Curious how the motor industry is always telling us that the solution to congestion is more cars, you'd almost think they have a hidden an agenda...
How would driverless cars interact?
As long as the default is to slow and stop, hell of a lot better than us organics. Computers don't have bad nights, moods or otherwise. Don't need toilets or feeding. They can not be distracted. They'll not be able to be put under pressure to do one more delivery or squeeze and 15min journey into 12mins.
I look forward to the threads on here about how pods did you pass today. It will never happen as the goveremt couldn't afford the loss in tax and what's left of the motor industry.
Driverless cars don't tailgate, punishment pass, left hook or get frustrated with you and they drive consistently responding in predictable ways to events around them. Personally I think it is a massive step forward. The biggest issue with cars today is the standard of the driving not the inherent safety of the vehicles. I would be happy to see many more vehicles on the road if they all treat me with respect and react appropriately when they see me, and they will be looking, with optics, LIDAR and RADAR. Much better than one eye on the kids, one on the radio tuner and one on the road...
I hear Apple is trying to catch up to Google on the driverless car thing. I have a better idea:
Carless Roads
Didn't 2000AD predict a city in which people live in their cars, that just drive around endlessly? I'm sure the fuel is cheaper than London rents.
I suppose the problem is that none of this will actually reduce the number of cars on the road. There will be as many, or more, but they will be driving closer together and at a more homogenous (not sure if that's right use) speed. Like one of those cartoons of The Future from the 1960s.
One of the other discussions about driverless cars talked about the conspiracy theories about driverless cars, but I'm beginning to think they may have a point.
If it becomes too expensive or difficult to make driverless cars able to safely interact with cyclists, then the powers that be might seriously consider just banning 'old-fashioned' modes of transport (cycling, or even 'manually driven' older cars).
I'd rather take my chances with a computer program driving a car than a busy mommy with two kids in the back, a "Baby on board" sticker in an SUV playing with a tablet at the lights.
Driver-less cars will be polite, patients, and make very few errors. Let's hope.
Exactly as it is at the moment, without the adult chauffeur and the erratic manoeuvrings - got to be better.
A nightmare scenario. Parents will do the school run by packing the kids into four-wheeled drones in the morning. I see queues of these things at the school gates, each with one child inside, not cycling, walking or interacting.
Google imagines that the future has no more car ownership- you order up a Google car as and when you need one. But maybe that the RAC Foundation gets closer- every person, youngest to oldest, gets their personal vehicle. Ugh.
So, like car club membership now? I don't know anyone who's a car club member. If people want a car, they want to have their own. 'Tis the way of the world, unfortunately. All or nothing. My Very Own Precious Car, or no car.
Do you live in London?
My experience is that people "need" there own car and can't rely on pool cars easily. If you live where public transport is viable then the need for a car for day to day usage falls.
Without intending to be rude, how old are you? It seems to be something that's much more popular with those under 35. It's almost a repeat of the arguments about downloading music, where people kept arguing that consumers actually want something they can hold. I was a slow convert, but now I couldn't care less, happy to get rid of the silly plastic cases taking up space. Speak to someone under 25, and unless they're a hipster with a thing for vinyl, they'll just stare at you blank.
I do own a car, though if it were an economic decision I really should have just joined a car club. That's probably what I'll do next time, assuming I'm still living in London.