Volvo's First Self-driving Cars Scheduled for 2014
The car will do the driving in heavy traffic.
Google has been developing its technology for driverless cars for a few years now. The company won big a couple of months back, in October, when California passed a law that allowed Google to test its fleet of self-driving cars on the road. At the time, Google's Sergey Brin said he hoped self-driving cars would be able to drive on public streets in five years or less. However, Google isn't the only company hoping to kickstart the driverless car movement. According to the latest reports Volvo is also working on self-driving cars.
That's right, old faithful is handing the keys over to the vehicle itself. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal (via Engadget), Volvo said it plans to launch its first batch of autonomous vehicles in 2014. The cars will be capable of driving up to 31 miles an hour (the company wouldn't speak about its plans for self-driving vehicles with faster speeds) and the cars are expected to initially be used in heavy traffic. The technology uses wireless internet which assigns each car a spot on the road and allows the vehicle to interact with other vehicles on the road.
"We are convinced this is the future and we want to get there first," Marcus Rothoff, head of developing Volvo's driver assistance technology, told the Wall Street Journal. The company also told the Journal that its vision is that by 2020, no one will be killer or injured in a new Volvo.

drinking and driving would be legal...
I saw a car wreck today because someone ran a red light. If an autonomous car could help prevent that I am all for it.
I saw a car wreck today because someone ran a red light. If an autonomous car could help prevent that I am all for it.
Not everyone particularly likes driving. I drive because it's the most convenient form of travel and because US society is pretty much designed around automobiles, but when given the option to let someone else drive, I usually let them do so. I'd very much welcome a safe autopilot feature.
What's the point in not removing the weak link in the car?
drinking and driving would be legal...
So will we be able to actually stalk the hot chicks that stop by our sides thru the internet?
A self-driving car would increase safety and access to disabled people in so many ways. I'm all for it.
Going by foot is always an option.
DUIs may become a thing of he past... although I bet given the option of using it or not, I'm sure some drunk idiots would still F up lol
...and there lies the quaint anachronism of your Orwellian scenario. "The State" as a monolithic control mechanism does not exist and will not exist in the world for long time to come. Government, despite it's increased ability to control and pry, has become completely subservient to the will of big money interests, billionaires, and mega-corporations. Those interests are often at odds with each other. Those interests also change far too quickly in modern markets to establish any kind of centralized omnipotent power and motivation (10 years ago who thought Apple would be worth as much as GE and Exxon?)
Yeah man, I just don't see it happening in any sort of 1984 way... who in today's world benefits monetarily from that?
Now, back on topic, as someone who lives in an urban center with a lot of traffic I say; "self driving car?? the sooner the better! Driving for me is nothing but a chore"
i enjoy driving, but if i could turn on auto-pilot to let the car take over during traffic jams and pass the time reading a book or watching last nights show then i'm all for it. it'd make traffic jams 80% less aggravating simply by giving drivers the option to focus on something other than the traffic jam while listening to the radio traffic report telling you you should have taken another route.
Oh man, I didn't even think of how much safer it might potentially be for us motorcyclists. No more being afraid of the highway! A girl can dream...
Technology and innovation are beautiful things. Just because something seems impractical or too expensive now, that doesn't mean it will be that way forever. I love getting excited over news like this because it offers a glimpse of what the future holds. I am not saying it will be readily available and affordable for every consumer in the next 18 to 24 months, but I reserve the right to dream about the day that it is.
Was gonna downvote, but then saw your username. Touche.