[Hatman]

Ah, studies on future technology... It's nice when everyone agrees on things:

A Car That Is Smarter Than Its Driver Can Cut Pollution
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...cut-pollution/

Automated Cars May Boost Fuel Use, Toyota Scientist Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-0...tist-says.html

FBI Is Worried Bad Guys Will Use Self Driving Cars As 'Lethal Weapons'
http://hothardware.com/News/FBI-Is-W...apons/#!bgDlSd

But my favorite article from today is this one:
The day your car becomes smarter than you are is coming
http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060002945

An excerpt:

To ensure that V2V [vehicle-to-vehicle communications] and V2I [vehicle-to-infrastructure] technologies deliver on their potential road safety benefits, automakers are urging Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect the 5.9-gigahertz spectrum reserved for connected vehicles.

Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced legislation (S. 2505) last month that would open the wireless spectrum to other devices like cell phones and laptops. Technology and car companies have said they're working with the senators and the FCC to find a technical solution for spectrum sharing that won't compromise on safety.

Making connected cars a reality will also make for cleaner cars, according to Matthew Stepp, executive director of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's (ITIF) Center for Clean Energy Innovation.

For instance, real-time transportation data allow drivers to navigate around congested routes or reschedule their trip, avoiding unnecessary fuel burn and greenhouse gas emissions. On-board equipment can also advise drivers and their dealers on how to improve vehicle maintenance for improved fuel efficiency.

"Connected car fixes like that, being able to connect dealerships, manufacturers, consumers and cars altogether, provide some modest fuel savings," said Stepp, in the 5 to 15 percent range.

Self-driving vehicles -- often included with V2V and V2I under the heading of "smart transportation systems" -- have the potential to offer even greater fuel savings, he said. If all Americans used self-driving cars, studies show it would reduce U.S. gasoline consumption 20 to 30 percent.

"That mainly comes from reducing congestion, reducing accidents, which feeds into the congestion problem, and reducing the amount of miles traveled per car," Stepp said. "That's because the cars are driving directly to where they need to go versus getting lost and driving around looking for parking spots and things like that."

The Internet giant Google has been testing autonomous cars since 2010. Rather than rely on V2V communications, Google's novel technology uses light radar and mapping software to guide the vehicle as a completely independent unit.