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This is one of the reasons that I really hope we get self-driving cars working well. They have the potential to do so much better at avoiding creating traffic i

by ziml77 5y ago

This is one of the reasons that I really hope we get self-driving cars working well. They have the potential to do so much better at avoiding creating traffic issues. Short traffic lights have for a decade+ now made me wish humans weren't involved in driving. You get that traffic wave effect except it's extremely noticeable what's happening as you see each car ahead of you delayed in reacting to the light changing to green, so you end up having half the number of cars get through than it seems should be able to. The optimal handling in terms of getting cars through the intersection would be every car in the line moving at the exact same time, something that only self-driving cars would be able to do safely.

_nalply 5y ago
This will only work if the cars ahead of you accelerate stronger than you. Standing cars don't need as much distance as driving cars. Self-driving cars might not need the distance if they are networked because if the first car brakes all cars in the group brake simultaneously.
- ziml77 5y ago
  Yes, of course it would also require them to be communicating to completely avoid the delay between each car being able to start moving. But I still believe that even only having information from its own sensors a self-driving car could safely begin accelerating sooner than a human driver since the largest buffer zone it really needs is just the braking distance. Slow human reaction time is removed from the equation.
  - AstralStorm 5y ago
    How do you discriminate a typical slowdown due to road conditions from full braking? You really cannot without additional information. But a sensor equipped (not even self driving) car can and forward this information. Simple things like broadcasting brake status, turning lights status and engine RPM of the nearby vehicles, and if available, emergency braking notice or traction control notice would do wonders, but we have not standardized on any such system of info somehow. Not even for people. A simple info about being passed or nearby road signs send to a car's HUD/console would do a lot for safety, potentially. Smart road, then smart cars, then self driving cars. Skipping steps won't do. Fast trains have these systems already (both local radio and central) despite much more controlled conditions, but somehow car roads don't get them.

by ziml77 5y ago

_nalply 5y ago

This will only work if the cars ahead of you accelerate stronger than you. Standing cars don't need as much distance as driving cars. Self-driving cars might not need the distance if they are networked because if the first car brakes all cars in the group brake simultaneously.

ziml77 5y ago
Yes, of course it would also require them to be communicating to completely avoid the delay between each car being able to start moving. But I still believe that even only having information from its own sensors a self-driving car could safely begin accelerating sooner than a human driver since the largest buffer zone it really needs is just the braking distance. Slow human reaction time is removed from the equation.
- AstralStorm 5y ago
  How do you discriminate a typical slowdown due to road conditions from full braking? You really cannot without additional information. But a sensor equipped (not even self driving) car can and forward this information. Simple things like broadcasting brake status, turning lights status and engine RPM of the nearby vehicles, and if available, emergency braking notice or traction control notice would do wonders, but we have not standardized on any such system of info somehow. Not even for people. A simple info about being passed or nearby road signs send to a car's HUD/console would do a lot for safety, potentially. Smart road, then smart cars, then self driving cars. Skipping steps won't do. Fast trains have these systems already (both local radio and central) despite much more controlled conditions, but somehow car roads don't get them.