Surely with technology that enables vehicles to drive in fixed-speed convoys, driverless cars have great potential to reduce traffic in our town centres? If not, surely this will be a huge missed opportunity?
According to a new study published by the Government, the answer is yes, no and maybe! The impact of driverless vehicles on journey times and delays will be dependent on uptake by motorists as well as existing speeds and levels of congestion.
Mixed Messages
For the main road network between towns, even when 25% of us are ‘driving’ driverless vehicles –or connected or autonomous vehicles (CAVs) as they are technically known– the impacts on traffic are only likely to be negligible.
Results for urban motoring show a much greater improvement with only 25% take-up; there will be a 12% improvement in delays, 21% improvement in journey times and a near 80% improvement in journey reliability.
Whilst this sounds promising, the report also highlights that the introduction of driverless vehicles could help change patterns of car ownership, reduce cost and ultimately contribute to an increase in car use. And so the traffic gets worse again!
Traffic Could Worsen
Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “There’s a prize to be had in terms of swifter, safer journeys, but the transition to that world will be challenging.
“There are around 32 million conventional cars on the UK’s roads – as driverless cars come in, traffic flow could initially get worse rather than better, potentially for many years.
“Much will depend on how an autonomous car’s parameters are set and just how defensively these vehicles will be programmed to drive”.
The Government report lacks details on timings but what is clear from wider murmurings and levels of investment, this is an area of travel to watch intently and factor in to decisions about local transport planning.
More information:
The report, Research on the Impacts of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) on Traffic Flow, was published by the Department of Transport in January 2017. You can download a copy here: impacts-of-connected-and-autonomous-vehicles-on-traffic-flow-summary-report.
The People and Places Partnership and Park Consult Ltd. are working together to help understand future travel trends and the practical implications for improving access and parking in town centres.
Read Top Tips on Improving Town Centre Parking and Access.
