11.37 - Fair reporting
37th edition of the 11th year of SmartDrivingCars eLetter
Don't fall prey to the current panic over automated vehicles
D. Sperling, Sept. 17, "Skepticism, frustration, and even hostility met the California Public Utilities Commission's decision last month to grant Waymo and Cruise permission to operate automated vehicles in San Francisco. The panic over AVs threatens to drown out the voices of those celebrating this technological advancement.
As transportation researchers, we aim to present pathways that embrace technological progress and improve public transportation while being mindful of the cynicism. AVs are not the panacea to all transportation troubles, but let's not discard this valuable innovation just yet.
AV companies have invested tens of billions of dollars testing this technology with the goal of improving safety and accessibility. Now it is time for better policies that will enable scaling of this technology in a way that is in the public interest — that will improve safety for occupants and pedestrians, enable sharing, and provide greater accessibility to all riders." Read more
Hmmmm… Extremely well said.. Alain