Driverless car trials to begin in Australia →

ABC News Australia:

The first on-road trials of driverless cars in the Southern Hemisphere will take place in Adelaide's southern suburbs in November.

Volvo will conduct the testing in conjunction with Flinders University, Carnegie Mellon University, the RAA and Cohda Wireless and Bosch, which has engineers in Australia developing driverless technology.

The trials will take place on the Southern Expressway on November 7 and 8, with multiple vehicles conducting manoeuvres such as overtaking, lane changing, emergency braking and the use of on and off ramps.

Baby steps, but I'm absolutely for any and all progress that inches me closer to a society where humans are no longer behind the wheel.

Self-Driving Cars May End the Fines That Fill City Coffers →

Alex Davies:

Before long, self-driving cars will deliver a lot of benefits. First and foremost, they’ll increase safety. Accidents won’t be eliminated, but surely will produce better results than humans, who play an outsized role in the 30,000 fatalities in US roads. They’ll also increase productivity—work in the car!—and perhaps even let you sneak in a nap.

Not everyone is looking forward to the age of autonomy, though. One potential loser? Local governments.

Once the car’s in charge, it’s a safe bet we won’t do things like speed, run reds, park illegally, or drive drunk. And that means we won’t be fined for doing those things. That’s going to put the squeeze on city budgets, according to a Brookings Institution report.

Interesting point.