Someday in the future, if you believe the hype, we'll all get around in self-driving cars. With little to no human input these cars are expected to plan their trajectory and navigate using advanced sensing technology. The cars will communicate with other self-driving cars and road network infrastructure, increasing reaction time, and maintaining a consistent speed and distance from other vehicles.
In addition to making our roads safer, these capabilities are hoped to eliminate stop-and-go traffic, increasing road capacity, and optimising traffic flow. Over all, the prediction is that autonomous vehicles will reduce traffic congestion. But just how realistic a future this is remains unclear.
To realise the full potential of the congestion-busting self-driving future, substantial upgrades to existing communication technologies and transportation infrastructure are required. To handle the range of movements an autonomous vehicle can make, roads must be redesigned. To facilitate the car’s camera vision and object identification, road markings and signs will need to become clear and uniform.
