Driverless cars & trains

[Lester Perry]

Rather than use technology to drive the car for you, I'd rather see technology to keep driver's informed, honest, and focused. In other words, perhaps governors on vehicles that limit speed to 69 MPH... or even better a "tattle tale" system whereas if you get above a certain speed, road side detectors read a wireless tag in your license plate and send your info to the MVA who issues you a Citation. Or in car technology that renders cell phones useless when in the vehicle is shifted into drive. Sensors that can tell how close you are to the car in front of you, and reduce your speed accordingly to prevent tailgating. Sensors that won't let you merge if there isn't space to do so. There are already sensors that will apply the brakes in your car if the car in front of you suddenly applies theirs. Roadside communicators that constantly monitor the conditions of the road surface (icy?), flow of traffic, interruptions ahead, and communicate such info to your car so you can make educated decisions on travel routes, etc.

It all sounds far fetched, in some cases it may seem invasive to your privacy, but in all cases it is better than relying on a computer to drive the vehicle for you.

Sounds like we think alike.