[kelvin0]

Having human drivers and assisted drivers on the same road is problematic currently.

I think the best situation would be to have 'automated' stretches of highway specially designed to 'help' self driving systems.

Only self driving vehicles would be allowed on such special highways, and everything would be built around such systems.

[SCNP]

Let me preface by saying that I hold no strong opinions on this matter and my comments are purely speculative.

This is kind of a position I've held for a long time but a different aspect of the problem. I think a system similar to IFF in aircraft would solve all of these issue. If every car knew where every other car was at all times, you could easily devise a system that would be nearly flawless. The issue is, there is no incremental path to this solution. You would essentially have to start over with the existing transportation network.

[mattnewton]

The problem is that you don’t just need to know about every other vehicle, you still need all the perceptual stuff for pedestrians, bikers, baby carriages, trash, road closures, traffic cops in the middle of the road, etc. All those things are arguably harder to detect reliably than a somewhat standard sized box of metal with pairs of lights in the front and back. I think shooting for superhuman perception of all these things is still where Tesla is failing.

[SCNP]

True. I guess I was thinking that if you build totally new infrastructure for these new overhauled cars, you'd keep it completely separate from other modes of transportation. My sci-fi inclinations had me imagining tubes like Logan's Run.

[ghaff]

Who is going to pay for these dedicated stretches of highway that only, presumably, relatively wealthy owners of self-driving cars are going to be allowed to use?

[kelvin0]

Any entity (individuals or corporate) could use it of course. Rich or not, since Electric vehicles such as buses could be a public form of transportation on these specially adapted roads.