Cars that can navigate streets, communicate with other cars and pay attention to roadway conditions — all without the need for a driver.
Once considered the stuff of science fiction, these cars are closer to becoming a reality and could have a role to play in making highways safer.
The 2013 Mercedes-Benz S Class will have an autonomous driving element that allows the driver to turn over the wheel in heavy traffic. Google, considered a leader in the field of autonomous cars, has logged more than 250,000 miles on its fleet of driverless vehicles.
The North Texas Tollway Authority recently heard about the latest research on connected and autonomous vehicles and their potential implications for the organization from Cade Jobe, an intern with its legal department.
Jobe, who will graduate from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law on Saturday, spent four months researching the vehicles for a paper.
The technologically advanced cars would increase safety, efficiency and mobility while reducing environmental costs, he told NTTA’s Customer Service, Projects and Operations Committee on Thursday.
“My presentation was designed to get the ball rolling,” said Jobe, 24. “I think that the safety benefits are really what’s going to get most people behind this.”
An autonomous car, which requires no help operating, differs from a connected vehicle, which communicates with the roadway and other vehicles.
NTTA spokesman Michael Rey said if the technology could be proven to “increase safety, reliability and decrease congestion,” the board would consider it.
Rey said the organization, which already has all-electronic tolling, Tolltags and more than 60 percent of its roadways under closed-circuit TV, is on the leading edge of technology.
Jobe told the board that the average driver spends more than 400 hours per year behind the wheel and that human error factors into 90 percent of vehicle crashes.
Jobe said highway authorities have the responsibility to stay on the cutting edge of the advancements in autonomous cars by getting involved with the companies and universities studying them.
“Especially with the NTTA, if you take their range and really try to lead … the technology, patents and things like that, there’s huge potential,” Jobe said.
Several German manufacturers, private companies and universities across the U.S. are also working on developing the technology.
Nevada and Florida have passed legislation allowing autonomous cars to be tested on their roadways. Hawaii, California and Oklahoma have pending legislation to allow the cars.
“That gives you a picture of a great future that we’d all like to be a part of, a much safer future,” Rey said.