Driverless cars could make traffic congestion worse before they make it better, a study by the DfT has revealed. This is because the cars won’t be able to perform at their best until they begin to outnumber traditional cars – and until that day comes they’re likely to drive slowly and over-cautiously.
The performance of driverless cars relies on the way
vehicles around them behave, meaning that many advantages of AV technology
won’t be felt for years, the report says.