Having a hard time parallel parking? Press a button on a touch screen and let the car park itself. This isn’t just a dream, but a reality–that really could happen in the future (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show) because automakers are pouring millions of dollars into systems that hand over the control of a vehicle to a complex network of sensors and computers.
read more
Engineers are working on a car that drives itself, but what may come first is a car that doesn’t let YOU drive when you’ve had too much to drink.
In 1982, about 49% of drivers killed in car wrecks had blood-alcohol levels of 0.08 or higher. By 1994, that percentage had dropped to about 33%, where it has stayed ever since.
The solution? Develop a car with a breathalyzer in the dashboard sot you have to breathe into it before the car will start (thus designated drivers will become "designated puffers," whose breath contains no alcohol. Alas, this may still allow the inebriated driver to actually drive).
read more
Being stuck in heavy traffic on your way to the mall to get last minute gifts can take away your Christmas spirit FAST. Thousands of accidents (and deaths) could be avoided every year if cars drove (and parked) themselves, and several automakers are actually developing this technology, which would also save on gas (because cars would drive THEMSELVES more efficiently than we do!)
read more
As the population ages, a big problem is if (and when) to take driver’s licenses away from elderly drivers, who may no longer have good enough eyesight or reflexes to safely drive a vehicle, especially in modern, suburbs, where it’s often necessary to negotiate a highway in order to buy groceries. Many cities are in the throes of deciding whether to implement light rail services, but there’s a better solution: a car that drives itself.
read more