Driverless Cars

[Hymie]

The recent post from ToraToraTora on driverless cars generated over 130 responses, given the interest from Abers in this subject – I’d like to start a thread of the social impact this will bring.

Taxi and lorry drivers will be out of a job – rather than owning a car, we might subscribe to a ‘Car-club’, whereby the organisation owns millions of vehicles that club members effectively rent (which will be cheaper than owning the car outright).

At your requested time to dive to work, an autonomous vehicle will arrive to take you to work – then rather than sitting in the company car park all day, the vehicle will be off on the next system requested ride. You may end up never travelling in the same vehicle twice. Those having a drive-way, where the driverless cars can park-up when not required, will be offered payment for this space.

It might be that rather than ‘Car clubs’ operating such a service, governments operate the system for the benefit of all in society (rather like a free buss pass for everyone – but paid out of general taxation).

Driverless cars could even have a major impact on current infrastructure projects such as HS2 – if a driverless car can complete the journey in around the same time – given the better use of road space (and possibly faster motorway speeds), then why build HS2 – or other such long term transport projects.

One of the clear advantages for me will be once I loose my ability to drive due to old age – I will still be able to go where I want, when I want without having to pay a fortune in taxi fares.

I would welcome others to post their thoughts on the social changes autonomous vehicles will bring (even if it is to give more work to lawyers, working out whose software code was at fault causing the accident).

[mushroom25]

//what's to stop the human powered cars going in the autonomous lane and getting taken out by a 200mph missile? //

mixed use won't happen - at least for now. autonomous roads will be autonomous roads, and legislation exists already that can be used to prohibit vehicles not equipped for autonomous running (the same legislation that prohibits slow vehicles using motorways).

[ToraToraTora]

yeah and everyone always obeys the rules don't they bhg? right oh! what utopia do you live in?

[ToraToraTora]

ok so there is a concrete barrier on the autonomous lane, how do they turn off? crossing all the flawed human driven vehicles? what could go wrong?

[Old_Geezer]

"35 million tram journeys were made in Manchester last year."

None of which is likely to have taken a single car off the road, as the passengers willing to use mass transport could easily have travelled by bus.

[mushroom25]

//None of which is likely to have taken a single car off the road,//

er, nope OG - if you perchance to visit any of the park 'n ride sites on the metro, you'll see the car parks are all full, every day.

[Old_Geezer]

And as I mentioned, any of those could have gone by bus.

[Gromit]

// any of those could have gone by bus. //

The Metrolink is many times faster than traveling by road. At rush hour it is probably 10 times faster. Which is why millions of car drivers opt to use the tram instead.

[mushroom25]

//The Metrolink is many times faster than traveling by road//

no it isn't - at least not under normal circumstances. what it is though is consistent, and reliable, with journey times that are much more predictable.

[Gromit]

Bury to Manchester by tram time

[EDDIE51]

The guided busway in Cambridge is brilliant , far faster than the 'Road Bus' on the same route. Rail station to Addenbrokes just 7 mins. It takes 20 mins by the conventional road bus using the bus lanes on the 'normal' roads.

[Old_Geezer]

It's not the point. If the tram is faster than the car then so should be the bus equally so, providing it too has it's own lane to keep the playing field level. So no advantage to trams, as I said.

But if we wish to expand the issue; since giving both a lane to themselves merely makes the rest of the paying public endure worse traffic jams/delays, and the only reason either tram or bus is faster is this unfair advantage, it is an unreasonable thing to do anyway.

And it gets worse when taxis, motorcycles, bicycles, and everyone but the normal drivers are allowed to use them. Talk about authorities making a second class group of citizens and using them as a cash cow, whilst trying to manipulate them into having a lower quality of life. It's just wrong, and not what we pay those in authority for, to treat us that way.

[riteshpatil732]

Highly autonomous technologies like Driverless Cars have the potential to successfully bring a range of social changes across the globe.

1. Government Survey findings have shown that 94% of car crashes are caused due to inappropriate driver behavior. Driverless cars can reduce this percentage with high-end automation.
2. Fewer crashes may mitigate the costs associated with vehicle repairs and insurance.
3. Automated driving systems can effectively benefit the independence of senior citizens and people with disabilities.
4. Carpooling with autonomous vehicles shall reduce the costs and use of privately owned vehicles.
5. Car parking shall be easy and the demand for driving licenses/tests shall decrease.
6. Driverless cars shall avoid traffic congestion by maintaining the needed distance between two vehicles and following speed limits.
7. The reduced number of jams shall help in saving fuel and reducing carbon footprint.
8. Adoption of electric cars is already on the rise but with such a growing social impact of driverless cars, this adoption shall seek more upliftment in the coming times.