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The idea is that automated driving, when it's good enough, increases road capacity enough that jams no longer occur. Capacity improves because all cars are now
by ehsanu1 14y ago
The idea is that automated driving, when it's good enough, increases road capacity enough that jams no longer occur. Capacity improves because all cars are now able to go much faster and with smaller distances between them, and without constant mistakes slowing other cars down.
- btilly 14y agoThe problem is that when you increase capacity, and decrease flow problems, you increase demand for that capacity. I find it very hard to believe that you can increase capacity enough to avoid jams in cities like Los Angeles.
- michaelochurch 14y agoThis is my thought, too. I think self-driving cars are extremely cool, but I think that a lot . Once self-driving cars are "the new normal", they'll be a lot more comfortable than regular cars. Which means that a lot of people won't think twice about a 75-minute car commute, because with internet access and the ability to read and an extremely comfortable chair, it won't be unpleasant to do so. And we will (because our reaction time is slow compared to a computer's) be able to raise the speed limits once self-driving cars are the norm: 150 mph highways where human-driven cars are banned, just as you can't take a bicycle on 65-mph highway. None of this is inherently bad, but I hope we won't be burning hydrocarbons to do it.
- com 14y agoOk, interesting business opportunity, time-based road pricing auctions integrated with automation. The roads keep flowing because people will pay others to defer their travel.
- SilasX 14y agoYou can do that without self-driving cars though.
- barrkel 14y agoJams are like a constant. If there are no jams, people can live further and further from their places of work and play without paying commute penalties, so they'll buy larger properties further and further out, until the congestion from the extra commuting becomes an issue again.