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There's only two systemic problems in the current road system that I know of: traffic jams, and the fact that increasing road capacity increases road traffic (a

There's only two systemic problems in the current road system that I know of: traffic jams, and the fact that increasing road capacity increases road traffic (and therefore doesn't reduce the potential for traffic jams). They're entirely due to the behavior of human drivers (given the surrounding circumstances in part too, of course). Are other systemic problematic effects known in the current road transportation system? Notably, are there any systemic effects that lead to increasing speed and accidents, rather than traffic jams (not that traffic jams don't cause accidents, since human drivers are running too fast, not expecting jams). It seems obvious that the two systemic problems above, won't occur with intercommunicating robotic cars. It would be "fun" to discover new systemic epiphenomenon with robotic cars, but I would expect them to be more discreet and even less "catastrophic".

dragonwriter 12y ago
It seems obvious that the second systemic problem (increasing road capacity increases traffic) is a result of the effect of road capacity on the decision to take trips using a car, rather than the way people drive, and will therefore continue with intercommunicating robotic cars.
krapp 12y ago
You also have to consider potential problems with the cars themselves, in terms of engineering and software, as well as potential issues with networking, weather, inaccurate satellite data, etc. It would be a vastly more interconnected and complex system than the one which already exists.
- nobodysfool 12y ago
  But you're also seemingly forgetting that cars these days are very safe, with airbags, seat belts, crumple zones, roll bars... this whole 'should it kill you' is not likely an issue these days. Look at all those idiots who crashed their cars going 80mph and lived to tell about it (tesla for example). The point being that if a car controlled the crash, your chances of survival are far better. So it's an option of killing someone or having a controlled crash, not 'kill or be killed'.
  - krapp 12y ago
    Ok, that's fair. The chances of autonomous cars ever being built with fewer safety features than currently exist is pretty much nil.

dragonwriter 12y ago

It seems obvious that the second systemic problem (increasing road capacity increases traffic) is a result of the effect of road capacity on the decision to take trips using a car, rather than the way people drive, and will therefore continue with intercommunicating robotic cars.

krapp 12y ago

You also have to consider potential problems with the cars themselves, in terms of engineering and software, as well as potential issues with networking, weather, inaccurate satellite data, etc. It would be a vastly more interconnected and complex system than the one which already exists.

nobodysfool 12y ago
But you're also seemingly forgetting that cars these days are very safe, with airbags, seat belts, crumple zones, roll bars... this whole 'should it kill you' is not likely an issue these days. Look at all those idiots who crashed their cars going 80mph and lived to tell about it (tesla for example). The point being that if a car controlled the crash, your chances of survival are far better. So it's an option of killing someone or having a controlled crash, not 'kill or be killed'.
- krapp 12y ago
  Ok, that's fair. The chances of autonomous cars ever being built with fewer safety features than currently exist is pretty much nil.