It’d be better if multiple cars were propelled by one engine. And if they could travel bumper to bumper.

Even better if people could get up and move about. Maybe go to a restaurant car.

And since they are all going the same way it would make sense to put them on some kind of rails…Where, if you’re lucky enough to have your own seat, there isn’t enough leg room, and the person next to you keeps farting and there’s a screaming brat 10ft away and, and, and…

And most importantly of all, the train didn’t leave when you wanted to so you had to hang around for ages on the platform. And it wasn’t going direct to your destination so you had to change at Peterborough and wait another hour on the platform…

Woah, that turned into more of a rant than I expected… FWIW I rarely take the train and don’t mind it when I do 🙂

The KPMG report makes some interesting observations about the sheer amount of land taken up by car parks, which could come back into use if people just hail a car when they need one – playgrounds, houses (that would sort out the supply shortage nicely)

Also, why do we pay so much for an object which sits unused for c22h every day… massive wastage of expense and resources – self-driving will be far more efficient on many levels.

I suspect this could be like mobile phones – once the technology is ready to go mass and people experience it for themselves, they’ll be all over it like a rash. There’ll be few doom-mongers and Luddites but they’ll disappear over time. The financial, social, health, quality of life benefits are very, very compelling.

Owning and driving our own cars be one of those things we find hard to explain to our grandkids

What do you do when one car wants to leave the motorway? Though I’m not quite sure why automated cars can’t travel bumper to bumper.

What do you do when one car wants to leave the motorway?

Everyone travelling at the same speed, in close convoy, means there is no need for so many lanes and road space. So you can use the left hand lane as a dedicated entry/exit lane – essentially a very very long slip road that give cars the chance to negotiate a space in the main convoy.

Though I’m not quite sure why automated cars can’t travel bumper to bumper.

Well they could – but if they are sole occupied, as most cars are, then even bumper-to-bumper there is still a full car length between you and the driver in front. Not exactly a great use of space.

Why self-driving cars are necessary

A driver who “hogged” lane three said: “It’s your fault, officer, you shouldn’t have been so close behind me”.

Another, stopped for speeding, said: “How am I supposed to know my speed?”

Can’t wait. Even with the downsides (hacking etc) the benefits still outweigh humans being trusted with driving several tonnes of metal at 70+ mph. The idiotic apes that we are.