What's going to happen?

https://plus.google.com/111118414189048552116 The nay-sayers will try to throw tacks in the road in front of this project. Personally, I can't wait for them to become commonplace. I suspect one unintended consequence of self-driving vehicles will be a huge improvement in the safety and confidence of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.  I live up  a rural lane in Scotland and sadly we're reluctant to let our under-14 kids cycle alone to see their friends/attend local activities. Not all drivers are complete idiots, but most see nothing wrong with skimming past a pedestrian/cyclist on a road with no footpath at 30/40/50mph or more, just inches away. (BTW, I have access to and regularly drive two vehicles, before I get accused of being anti-motorist. I just want a future in which passing a cyclist the same as I would another car - i.e. waiting for a gap on the other side of the road - is not seen as loony.) Presumably once they advance enough for general ...

With the recent announcement of 100 prototype fully electric cars with optional steering controls, Google continues to push this forward. There will no doubt be a backlash from mainly older drivers when these vehicles become ubiquitous. I'll be one of many happy to let the car drive home when I'm too tired or have been out for an evening and wanted a glass or two.  I also suspect automatic vehicles will change the interaction between motorised vehicles and pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, horse riders and other vulnerable users. Because the PR would be so much worse, I have to think a workable automatically-driven car would have to reduce the chance of inflicting major injury on more vulnerable road users to an incredibly low level. As someone who regularly walks on a section of road with no footpath, I am sure most drivers are unaware how intimidating travelling too fast and too close can be.  While driving myself, I pass cyclists only when I can cross into the on...