Posted on March 24th, 2023

The Future of Transportation is Already Here

Most people can conjure up images of the future of transportation. Movies and television provide plenty of examples to draw from, whether it’s the flying cars of the Jetsons or enviable transit in Black Panther’s Wakanda. Some headlines would have us believe that parts of this future are already here, from self-driving vehicles to personal-use helicopters. The day-to-day reality for most U.S. communities, however, presents a bit differently, and it’s important to realize that the technology we have today can be just as lifesaving as those far-off promises.

First, a reality check. It might be obvious that those flying cars aren’t arriving in driveways (or on rooftops) anytime soon, but it’s important to also recognize that fully self-driving vehicles are just as unlikely to be found on today’s streets. There are still many unknowns to the technology required to produce viable self-driving vehicles for personal use, and even more questions that come when considering how and where they can be deployed safely. It is more likely that if you interact with a self-driving vehicle, it will be in the form of a public use vehicle (including the pilot of these shuttles in Las Vegas, NV), part of a corporate fleet (as tested in this 80-mile journey by a truck in 2021), or a smaller-scale vehicle (such as the delivery drones driving today’s debate over sidewalk use).

That’s not to say that there isn’t technology currently available or coming soon that shouldn’t be celebrated. Improvements to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) continue to provide safety benefits. Research into the use of lane departure warning systems, for example, suggests that this technology could prevent thousands of deaths each year if made standard in U.S. passenger vehicles. Blind spot warnings, meanwhile, have been found to reduce lane-change crashes by 14%. While it may be disappointing to not yet be able to let the car take full control, it is important to acknowledge how far technology has come in its ability to save lives.

Another promising opportunity for technology to help create safer streets is the way that it could address persistent traffic safety issues on today’s roads. Speed limiters, for example, could be used in coordination with lower speed limits and improved street design to save lives. In 2019, this would have meant 9,478 people could have come home to their loved ones who otherwise didn’t.

It is important that vehicle operators have a sense of just how far the technology in their vehicles is able to go. Confidence in and understanding of existing systems is critical to realizing the full safety benefits of available technologies. A self-driving future might not yet be here, but a future where safer streets can be experienced by all road users exists today.