It (potentially) solves one challenging problem - how to navigate when the roads are not clear or clearly marked. Unfortunately it's a fairly limited solution -

It (potentially) solves one challenging problem - how to navigate when the roads are not clear or clearly marked. Unfortunately it's a fairly limited solution - "Falling rain and snow can interfere with LIDAR and cameras" (http://www.wired.com/2016/01/the-clever-way-fords-self-driving-cars-navigate-in-snow/ http://www.wired.com/2016/01/the-clever-way-fords-self-drivi...)