If you’ve followed my ramblings you know that I’m incredibly fascinated with the concept of the self-driving car. Any stray article that comes my way about this potentially revolutionary new field (once its implemented) and its impact on our society has my attention.
What’s most fascinating is the fact that there are so many factors to consider when/if such a technology becomes the norm, something I suspect will happen soon rather than later.
For example, how will such a technology affect the economy? Will we need to buy vehicles for ourselves if we can simply “order” a driverless car to come pick us up with our smartphone and have it take us wherever we need? Will driverless cars lead to significantly less traffic and accidents and deaths (I suspect yes).
But there is one thing I hadn’t considered until now: Will safer driverless vehicles be allowed to run at greater and greater speeds and will this, in turn, allow us to live farther and farther away from our worksites? If that’s the case, how will that affect the environment?
Joseph Coughlin and Luke Yoquinto offer a fascinating article regarding just this issue for Slate magazine. I highly recommend those interested in this emerging technology give it a read. Just click on the link below: