[CFECO]

Originally Posted by niky

Hmmm... as evidenced by the peloton in bicycle racing, wherein dozens of riders ride wheel to wheel every race for miles without incident, flocking is a pretty smart way to use the road and conserve energy. Also more egalitarian, as the lead car changes more fluidly, allowing equal distribution of savings.

Well... it works until someone falls down in the middle of the pack. Still single point of failure.

If cars were much more intuitive to drive, or if drivers were better, we could conceivably drive in such close proximity on the highway. We do it while walking, instinctively... we do it while biking or skating... hell... in big groups on motorcycles, people do it as second nature... why not while driving?

A radical rethink of how we design cars could yield extreme benefits in terms of fuel efficiency and passenger capacity on roads, without resorting to full automation or a removal of human autonomy.

But if automation is good enough to support flocking without making the driver feel like they have no control, that's good enough for me.

Sounds like the Daytona 500, it's ALL great, until one person screws up.