A recent event has reinforced my belief that driverless cars are a very good idea. The 100+ year tenure of people operating automobiles has demonstrated quite convincingly that we are no good at it. In fact, we are distinctly unqualified to maneuver a ton of metal down a road at high speed, or any speed at all for that matter. Computer controlled cars will do a much better job and we will be a happier species as a result.
Architects have had, and continue to have, a difficult relationship with automobiles. They used to be considered an unequivocal good and many designers embraced the aesthetic consequences of car-dependent culture. Nowadays, walkable communities, telecommuting, and public transportation are held in much higher regard. But, the car is here to stay. Human drivers are a definite liability, however. The change towards robotic cars will be encouraged by insurance companies that will grow tired of underwriting the incompetence of human operators.
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