Self-driving cars...

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by Tommy

Don't mistake my prediction of the future with a desire to see it done, nor a prediction that it will come about without serious growing pains. My point was that none of the problems you mentioned in jest were beyond solving with today's technology plus a lot of money and political will. ... In my experience, people want better transportation and lower taxes. One way for politicians to have both (and keep their jobs) is to require car makers to find ways to stuff more and more cars on existing roadways. Networked self driving cars seem the obvious solution.

Very plausible thoughts.... But if so, I'd suggest they put more time into public transport first. It would be a much simpler starting point. Light rail is yet to be automoted and they have their own tracks to keep to.

[DanEC]

I'll have to fall back on my original post and that personal injury lawyers will probably kill the whole thing. The first one hit and resulting in an injury will result in a class action lawsuit claiming the manufacturer failed to include measures in the programs that should have avoided the accident. Insurance companies and manufacturers will get the heebie jeebies over all the bad publicity and possibility of billion dollar judgements and can the technology. But in the meantime I guess we will see.

[Tommy]

Originally Posted by Dimis

Very plausible thoughts.... But if so, I'd suggest they put more time into public transport first. It would be a much simpler starting point. Light rail is yet to be automoted and they have their own tracks to keep to.

I'm far from expert on rail, but my understanding is that the most heavily used rail system in the USA, Amtrack, is heavily subsidized by the government because its passengers don't want to pay the actual cost of riding on it. That means someone else has to be taxed to make it a feasible mass transit system for those that use it. Most of our politicians are not keen on taxes, even those that many think are needed. The fact that those who pay the most taxes are among those who least use mass transit is one reason mass transit it a challenge for many communities.