The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

TDOT Commissioner talks ‘autonomous’ future


Drivers? Where we're going, we don't need drivers


SchroerTDOT

SchroerTDOT

Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Commissioner John Schroer says transportation is on the verge of a new revolution, one driven by – well, no one.

Speaking at a lunch and learn event hosted by the Lebanon Wilson County Chamber of Commerce at Five Oaks Golf & Country Club Thursday, Schroer said autonomous vehicles – also known as driverless cars – will change travel as we know it, and sooner than some might think.

Schroer pointed to a grainy, black-and-white photograph of a congested 5th Avenue in New York City taken in 1900. A red circle marked the lone automobile, surrounded by a bevy of horse-pulled carriages, in the photo. He then shared an image of the same street taken in 1915, and not a single horse-powered conveyance can be found.

“The automobile caused a revolution, and I’m here to tell you we are on the cusp of another one,” Schroer said.

The commissioner believes one factor that will fuel the growth of autonomous vehicles is the amount of money it could ultimately save citizens who make use of ridesharing.

“Once you get rid of the driver, the cost of ridesharing goes down significantly,” Schroer said, noting he believes ridesharing will allow many Americans to own just one car.

“A car sits idle 94 percent of the time. They’re the second-largest investment besides a home that we make,” he continued. “And they’re a horrible investment. They depreciate the minute we drive them off the lot.

A vehicle, he said, on average costs $700 to $800 to operate each year when factoring in insurance, depreciation and maintenance costs.

But while a reduction in costs may help bring about the rise of driverless cars, Schroer said the primary benefit of the technology will be safety.

“There will be 40,000 lives lost on the highway – 40,000. Think about it. A 747 holds about 200 passengers, so that would be like 200 of them crashing every year,” he said. “Let me ask you a question: how many of you would fly if you knew there were 200 planes crashing every year?

“Almost all those (auto) accidents are caused by human error, but autonomous vehicles don’t crash. They don’t get distracted. They don’t get drunk and drive.”

Fewer crashes, Schroer explained, will lead to less road congestion and reduce the need to build wider roads, even as Tennessee continues to grow.

“I’m excited. I embrace it. I think it’s going to save lives. I think one day we’ll look back at driver-operated vehicles like people used to look back at the horse and buggy,” he said. “And it’s coming very soon.”

Schroer forecast that, within as few as five years, Tennesseans will begin to see vehicles without steering wheels or brakes and some with passengers sitting in the backseat as the automobile pilots itself.

“Remember that picture I showed you earlier?” he asked. “I think we are at about 1913 in that picture.”

Due to the sensitivity of driverless technology and liability and insurance issues, he said ownership of vehicles will decline, and citizens will likely be transported in fleet cars maintained by automobile manufacturers. Much like how people subscribe to a particular cell phone carrier, people will say, “I’m with Ford,” or “I’m with Chevy.”

“What do we do with horses nowadays? We ride them for pleasure, and we race them. And I think that’s the way cars are going,” Schroer said. “Trust me, you don’t want to see autonomous vehicles race because they don’t speed. They don’t change lanes. They don’t crash. It would be boring to watch.”

The Aug. 23 lunch and learn event was sponsored by Vanderbilt Health.

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