Self-driving cars are getting better all the time, but we won’t ever be convinced of their readiness for prime time till we see them comfortably handle a full range of challenges. So, ask yourself, would you be happy climbing into a driverless car for a ride on THESE insane roads?
The technology that powers autonomous cars has clearly improved by leaps and bounds over the years.
Tech companies and automakers alike are now investing billions of dollars in further development, with the aim of building a self-driving vehicle that can comfortably handle any type of traffic scenario.
But for a car to be classified as truly autonomous, we believe it should first be put to the test in some of the world’s most extreme driving scenarios.
So, ask yourself, would you be happy climbing into a driverless car for a ride on these insane roads?
Once voted the scariest road junction in England, Swindon’s so-called “Magic Roundabout” comprises five mini traffic circles that make up a giant traffic circle that encircles a sixth one, which can be driven in both a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. Confused? You will be. Drivers approaching it for the first time usually break into a cold sweat, while others are rumored to have spent several weeks lost in the maze-like junction, wondering if there’s a way out. What we do know is this: Any self-driving car worthy of the name will have to be able to handle this terrifying junction with aplomb, though to do so may require a few extra lines of code in the algorithms that power it.
Despite having a name that conjures up blissful images of idyllic summer drives, Fairy Meadows Road in reality offers a pants-soiling ride of a lifetime, running as it does along a narrow gravel road situated precariously between a sheer cliff and a sheer drop. While we know in our heart that we should be able to trust an autonomous car more than a human driver, we also know that technology can occasionally fail. Tootling along Fairy Meadows Road in a self-driving car is one place where you’ll really want your car’s technology to be at the top of its game.
