How much safer would driving be if robots replaced humans on the roads? …
Two studies by researchers at Virginia Tech … found that even cars that are not fully autonomous but that automate some of the most dangerous aspects of driving could have as big an effect as seatbelts have had. …
The number of people injured or killed would have declined in the range of 29 to 50 percent, the researchers concluded. By comparison, seatbelts have reduced injuries and fatalities by about 50 percent, and are considered the most beneficial auto safety measure ever invented …
Of course, seatbelts cost a few bucks. An automated car?
The bigger, second-order, benefit http://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2014/6/9/marginal-cost-of-transportation-robotaxis-and-sprawl-repair.html My recent strong towns piece.
One of the key issues will be to ‘open source’ the technology so that vehicles from different manufacturers can communicate with each other. It will be interesting to see if Google (the apparent leader in driverless technology) will be willing to do this. Tesla’s recent release of its electric car patents could serve as an example.