Stephen Weese: The Inevitability of Self-Driving Cars

The future is now.

When you think of self-driving cars, you may imagine scenes from a sci-fi movie, with sleek silver cars sliding perfectly into and out of the flow of traffic. Pedestrians simply express their desire for a car, and in moments one appears.

Just as easily, you might also think of media reports you’ve seen about crashes and other malfunctions of these vehicles in the recent past. You may even think of both and think that the sci-fi depiction is far-fetched and unlikely. The reality is actually simpler: self-driving cars are inevitable.

Bryan Leyland: "Things you know that ain't so” - self driving cars

“Things you know that ain't so - self driving cars are a long way in the future.”

Most people believe that self driving cars will not be available for many years and will not have any major effect on the transport of people and goods within their lifetime. Not so.

All the major manufacturers are researching self driving cars and most new cars incorporate some aspects of the technology. You can now buy cars that will: follow the car ahead in a traffic jam; ensure that you stay in the lane on a motorway; automatically apply the brakes if you are about to run into another car or a pedestrian and so on.