There's a problem with self-driving cars

[KamaAina]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/effect-robot-cars-traffic-congestion-070728013.html

Self-driving cars are expected to usher in a new era of mobility, safety and convenience. The problem, say transportation researchers, is that people will use them too much....

Researchers believe the number of miles driven will skyrocket. It's less certain whether that will mean a corresponding surge in traffic congestion, but it's a clear possibility....

Based on focus groups in Atlanta, Denver and Chicago, KPMG predicts autonomous "mobility-on-demand" services — think Uber and Lyft without a driver — will result in double-digit increases in travel by people in two age groups: those over 65, and those 16 to 24.

Vehicles traveled a record 3.1 trillion miles in the U.S. last year. Increased trips in autonomous cars by those two age groups would boost miles traveled by an additional 2 trillion miles annually by 2050, KPMG calculated. If self-driving cars without passengers start running errands, the increase could be double that.

[Orrex]

1. My town, with its lunar-washboard style of roads, will singlehandedly derail this

[rurallib]

4. believe me, yours is not unique

towns and cities are being starved in the 'no tax' world. While we can't see the infrastructure degrade that is under the streets, we sure can see the streets degrade. And there is no money to fix them unless the holes get pretty big.

[GummyBearz]

2. That is the problem?

More traffic? How about the decision the car has to make between running over a kid in the street vs crashing itself into a wall and killing the 4 passengers inside it?

[elehhhhna]

3. who cares? youll be suing Google. good fucking luck.

[GummyBearz]

6. Suing google is not an issue if I'm dead

I'd rather not be dead. That is why I care.

[Travis_0004]

5. of course miles will go up

I remember when we took the keys away from my grandmother because she couldnt see well enough to drive.

It would have been nice if the technology existed to give her mobility back.

I could also see a 15 year old hopping in the car to go to his friends house, or me arriving at work and sending my car home for my wife if hers is in the shop.

Miles might go up but if congestion goes down and they draft on the highway the impact might be minimal.

[Codeine]

7. Increased mobility for the elderly is a GOOD thing.

And as autonomous vehicles become ever more sophisticated and networked together we can alleviate congestion by smoother driving patterns and decreased space between cars.

[jberryhill]

8. yep

The problem with congestion is that not enough cars are self-driving.