Self-driving cars will not fix our transportation woes

Widespread use of autonomous vehicles could increase or cut greenhouse gas emissions. It all depends on public policy. (Shutterstock)

Cameron Roberts, Carleton University

It’s 2035, and you’re going to a movie. As you walk out the door, you reach for your phone instead of the car keys because you don’t have a car. Instead, you’ve ordered your ride to come to you.

The car that arrives has no driver or steering wheel. As you climb in, the electric motor silently comes to life, and the car whisks you into an aerodynamic peloton of vehicles, slipping through cross-traffic at intersections without stopping.

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