Driverless Cars (Perspectives) Paperback – March 30, 2018

This short book provides a lot of provoking questions, and shares some interesting information on the current state as well as shortcomings that exist. Should be read to provide a healthy dose of skepticism to balance the self serving predictions of the companies involved. Utopianism continues to be an affliction of the human condition.

The author succinctly summarizes the potential problems that driverless cars could face, which are hidden behind the hype. He makes a forceful argument that unless there are legal, institutional and cultural changes, driverless cars would never be realized and that the decision to make the necessary changes should be conscious one. Good work!

Even if far from perfect I still consider this book a must read if your trying to understand what's going on in the world of autonomous vehicles

This is essential reading for anyone needing an antidote to the breathless coverage of "self-driving" cars, supposedly arriving on streeets next week or month, depending on the latest press-release. As well as explaining what autonomy really means in driving (five levels of autonomy with significant steps of progress between each) and how far we are from the vision of bus-like pods taking us from door to door, Wolman draws attention to the fundamental issue of driverless cars considered in isolation from pedestrians, city planning, shared road spaces and cyclists.For example, the "Holborn station" problem: In areas where pedestrians spill out onto roads, the flow of traffic depends on the (mild) aggressiveness of drivers to ensure there is any traffic flow. A driverless car, when presented with a pedestrian will simply stop and not move. Pedestrians will not make more allowances for driverless vehicles, and nor should they."Driverless Cars: On a Road to Nowhere" also reminds us of the dilution of the original promises of technology that would work for us, and around us, with more and more caveats that threaten safety, freedom and deter other road uses such as cycling. While cities need to focus on public transportation, driverless cars are a new lifeline for the car industry who can ride the coat-tails of arguments like empowering disabled users (important but to a relatively small number of people) while continuing to push the two- or three-car owning household.A concise and highly-recommended read.

This book is a very compelling read, and I am so glad I bought it!I hesitated, as I thought it could be a bit of a 'dry' subject, with perhaps marginal interest for me. But it is not only fascinating, it is so well researched, and the author has looked at every minute detail, leaving nothing unexamined. There is no bias, or agenda.....it is just the facts, the plain old (sometimes unpalatable facts). I would like to say that I personally, "do" have bias. I am firmly against this technology, for so many reasons, and the author has helped me to consolidate my own views. I think that Wolmar should actually be employed (if he is not) by many bodies, companies, governments - to offer his immense and authoritative views on the subject. The problem is, I suspect he never will be, because its not what any in the industry really want to hear.Amazingly, while reading the book yesterday (and I am 3/4 of the way through it), it was announced that the first fatality has occurred as a result of these driverless/autonomous cars. The lady that died, well, she apparently had taken drugs in her life and had a chequered history. Immediately, the media seemed to be trying to portray her as at least partly responsible, for stepping into the path of said vehicle!!Then later yesterday, the UK radio wheeled on a so called expert - Mr. Matthew Avery, from Thatcham Research. He blabbed away about all the virtues of these cars, and refused to be drawn on the particular details of the death (how convenient), and went on to finish the interview by saying that he believes that these cars will be at Level4 by early 2020. He did not actually state "Level4", but by implication, he did - by saying that the cars should or will be pretty much fully driving themselves by then. Bear in mind that this is just two years from now.If you only read this book, you would see why this view is totally out of kilter with the reality.It's a brilliant book, and I've not been able to put it down. If you are interested in REALLY hearing the truth about this new technology, please don't hesitate to buy a copy. I have nothing to do with the author, and these opinions are simply my own.Lastly, these vehicles will be a privacy nightmare!!! They do, and will, bristle with technology that will infringe on privacy like you've never known it. I am in my early 50s, so I dare say I won't have to worry about much of all this stuff. But one thing is for sure, I will never be seen anywhere near one of these cars, and it really boils down to opportunism (in my view), and the relentless drive to invent something that we really don't need.

Anybody believing what they read in the news wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that autonomous vehicles – self-driving cars - are inevitable and that their mass introduction is imminent.Christian Wolmar’s excellent short book says otherwise. Far from being a done deal, autonomous vehicles raise a range of ethical, philosophical, legal, safety and planning issues which have barely been considered let alone solved. Most importantly, the practical and technical progress with ‘driverless cars’ has been far less than you would imagine from the regular and gushing press coverage on the issue.Perhaps these issues will be resolved with time but Wolmar also makes us ask – do we want this to happen? The amounts of research and development money involved will be eye watering and would be better spent on tried and tested public transport and active travel solutions and on technology for conventional electric cars. Likewise, if autonomous vehicles become the norm, it is estimated that around 1.6 million professional drivers in the UK could ultimately lose their jobs. Do we really want to see this?Whether autonomous vehicles will even help reduce congestion, one of the key arguments in their favour, is also debatable.Rather than conventional cars being phased out, it is more likely that autonomous vehicles will become a more niche transport solution, more akin to airport transit systems, guided busways, monorails, hovercrafts and airships.Don't believe the hype.

In a world where politicians engage their mouths but not their brains, this book arrives as a refreshing antidote. Like many people my gut feeling towards driverless road vehicles is on of extreme scepticism and this little book crystalises the many and varied problems which will arise in practice. A very useful dose of realism.

We are subjected to a barrage of sometimes irrational arguments by the proponents of driverless cars, such that it would seem to be a fait accompli; such vehicles are, metaphorically, just round the corner. This book seeks to debunk that hype by a reasoned debate about the realities & immense difficulties of their introduction and use.A must-read for car enthusiasts and everyday motorists alike.

This was written when we knew less then we know now. What we know now confirms even more that that this is not a reality. 'the king's new clothes' . Let some common sense reign!