Skip to main content

WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff - Driving towards driverless

WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff US-based manager for Sustainable Transportation Lauren Isaac, who is to speak on connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) at the forthcoming ITS World Congress in Melbourne, suggests in a research paper, Driving Towards Driverless, that new AV world will be either a nightmare or utopia. She suggests that which scenario plays out will largely depend on the amount of vehicle sharing future road users are prepared to accept. For example, close to full automation and ride sharing would e
October 7, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

6666 WSP/4983 Parsons Brinckerhoff US-based manager for Sustainable Transportation Lauren Isaac, who is to speak on connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) at the forthcoming ITS World Congress in Melbourne, suggests in a research paper, Driving Towards Driverless, that new AV world will be either a nightmare or utopia. She suggests that which scenario plays out will largely depend on the amount of vehicle sharing future road users are prepared to accept. For example, close to full automation and ride sharing would equal utopia, while the opposite would result in a ‘driverless nightmare’ situation.

“Of utmost importance is finding a balance between guarding public safety while regulating insurance/liability and simultaneously encouraging investment in research and development of driverless vehicles and their implementation and integration into our transportation system,” she says.

Isaac says it is government action – now and in the future – that will determine how AVs are integrated into society and if the impacts are largely positive or negative.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TÜV Rheinland and Southwest Research Institute sign MOU
    January 15, 2013
    Independent research and development organisation Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and testing and inspection services provider TÜV Rheinland Mobility have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop functional standards for the performance of autonomous driving on public roadways. Following the lead of Florida, California and Nevada, which have all developed regulations enabling autonomous driving, SwRI and TÜV Rheinland Mobility will collaborate to establish standards and performance metrics that w
  • Delay costly upgrades with intelligent transport systems
    September 12, 2013
    Three Parsons Brinckerhoff transport specialists will present at the Australian Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Summit in Sydney on 18-20 September. Parsons Brinckerhoff ITS Technical Executive, Kim Thomas, said the specialists will stimulate discussion about systems engineering and how to develop smarter transport solutions that make road operations safer and more efficient.
  • The AI revolution in transportation
    November 21, 2024
    Navigating the future of mobility means approaching AI as a powerful tool that, when wielded responsibly, can help us build transportation systems that truly serve people, says Alex Nesic
  • Open-source journey planning - the way forward?
    January 23, 2012
    Peter Bell, managing director of journey planning provider Trapeze Group, ponders the business models which will underpin future travel information services from a UK perspective Traditionally, journey planning websites for public transport in the UK (for example, Transport Direct, the Traveline regions or National Rail Enquiries) have been provided by the transport operators keen to increase ridership and revenues, or by public bodies who hope to encourage a modal switch to public transport by making it e