���ϳԹ���

Putting self-driving cars on the road sooner rather than later could save hundreds of thousands of lives, according to a report released Nov. 6 by Rand Corp., a Santa Monica policy research nonprofit.

With driver shortages across the country, training to become a trucker can be a good bet for employment.

A bicyclist pedaled alongside the road and a pedestrian wandered into the crosswalk, as a self-driving minivan headed through a maze of roads in a desolate landscape. As the vehicle turned right, its steering wheel rotated above the empty driver’s seat.

While praising efforts to protect the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports from terrorist and cyber-attacks, members of Congress aired concerns Oct. 31 about threats to public safety and the economy if federal funding for maritime security programs isn’t raised to meet new threats.

Drivers in 14 state highway corridors in Maryland will see their travel times cut over the next year as a result of a $50 million upgrade to traffic signals, Gov. Larry Hogan said Oct. 25.

Some consumers say they are wary of a driverless car future, but a new survey says the beginnings of the technology which will power that future are already available on most new vehicle models and many consumers are willing to pay thousands of dollars for them.

As computer technology increasingly controls critical vehicle safety features and more cars are connected to the internet, the danger of a hacker taking control of vehicles is becoming less like a Hollywood movie plot and more like something that can actually happen.

General Motors says it “aims to solve some of the toughest transportation challenges created by natural disasters, complex logistics environments and global conflicts” with its new Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure.