[Flightdeck]

I post this to discuss the future of ground transportation. All of us know somebody or have ourselves been in a serious accident. Many thousands of people are killed every year by drunks, losers, idiots, inconsiderate freaks, and criminals. Here in Texas, home of the country's worst drivers (I typed "world's worst" at first but then remembered I'd driven in Moscow), there is an injury accident between my work and home eight days out of the week.

We also have that little oil problem.

One solution which will never happen: Electromagnetic transportation. Same principle as the high speed trains, but everyone has to go purchase their own little "car". It has no internal combustion engine, just magnets. The individual can retain their own little space and privacy, and the car companies can transition to the new industry. Their is no gasoline. Power is supplied by centralized plants. Nuclear power plants could supply the energy to run local grids. We either pay a fee to ride, or it's a tax.

And there are no fatal accidents. Each car follows the grid to its destination all the way from their driveway. It is impossible to crash through a median and kill five innocent college students.

Why it won't happen: - $ Billions of infrastructure per city, not mention connections - Oil companies and car companies don't really think it's a good idea. - It would be really difficult...

One day, however, somebody who has enough power is going to have a kid get killed minding his own business, and the debate will begin: do we really have to accept 80,000 fatalities per year on our roads??

[edpc]

Step on up...

[Blueflag]

Like any industrial transformation idea THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE, it requires doggedly determined leadership, an unassailable champion, and boatloads of money.

If you think of the nation's roads as a factory/warehouse floor, and all the vehicles as work-in-process and finished goods moving from origin to interim to final location(s), then we have the software to do it. FedEX and UPS do it today.

It is a logistics mgmt + infrastructure challenge. Doable, but not likely with current government 'leaders'.

[AppyPappy]

Your money first

[Publius6961]

"One solution which will never happen: Electromagnetic transportation. Same principle as the high speed trains, but everyone has to go purchase their own little "car". It has no internal combustion engine, just magnets. The individual can retain their own little space and privacy"

Cannons.
I've always been partial to cannons. With the proper planning, they would need to be spaced no less than twenty miles apart.

Smaller, 'feeder cannons' can deal with local 'traffic'.

[Mr. Brightside]

Why don't we simply transition right away to the Jetson's car.

Then we don't need highways. After our robotic bed gets us up in the morning moving us on the conveyor belt from the toilet, shower, kitchen and garage it would wisk us off to work with Mr. Spacely.

Problem solved.

[Izzy Dunne]

And there are no fatal accidents. Each car follows the grid to its destination all the way from their driveway.

Interesting how two paths can never cross in this scheme.

[theDentist]

Tell me how much the infrastructure is going to cost us? And how long? Prepping in cities will be a pain, but how about reaching out to Mom and Pop in Podunk Ohio???

[gas0linealley]

As a driver of a "big rig" I can tell you that it is often difficult to maintain control of the truck on roads which are poorly maintained, and often poorly designed.

Why should we think that "electro-magnetic" roads would be any better?

I think the best solution to our high fatality count and oil use is lower speed limits and alot less horsepower.

[sinkspur]

One day, however, somebody who has enough power is going to have a kid get killed minding his own business, and the debate will begin: do we really have to accept 80,000 fatalities per year on our roads??

My suggestion to you: don't drive. Take public transportation.

Eliminating all risk on the highways isn't even on MY list of priorities.

[Coop]

I personally would like to see a dramatic increase in the welfare program. Then I could collect my checks from the comfort of my own home, never having to venture out on the dangerous roads.

[dawn53]

more info on the crash and victims

http://www.taylor.edu/community/news/accident_04-26-06.htm

[metmom]

One day, however, somebody who has enough power is going to have a kid get killed minding his own business, and the debate will begin: do we really have to accept 80,000 fatalities per year on our roads??

So true. It wasn't until the Kennedy's lost a premie that research into how to better save them was really ramped up. It often seems that until someone rich and famous goes through what we little peons have to deal with every day, that something gets done.

Too bad you've been getting ripped for you comments. I don't see that there is any call for it. That sort of thing had been envisioned back in the 60's. I remember seeing artists representations of life in the *future* ( read: now) and it was all very science fictiony but that sort of thing was addressed but never happened, most likely for the reasons you mentioned.

[metesky]

Many thousands of people are killed every year by drunks, losers, idiots, inconsiderate freaks, and criminals.

Yes and just as many if not more, are killed by what used to be called "accidents".

80,000 fatalities per year on our roads

Never happened. The average is about 45,000, but there's nothing like hyperbole to make a point.

[Andonius_99]

you don't happen to teach at UCONN do you??? You sound like one of my professors from last semester...

[opinionator]

Let's set the top speed of all autos to 15 mph. It's a lot cheaper.

Why don't we give everyone a tank. An 18 wheeler would be no match.

Let's make all buildings out of non-flammable material, like the tiles on the space shuttle.

Let's make it illegal for people to leave their homes. Everyone could telecommute to work. It would be a lot safer.

Sure, if we spend a hundred gazillion dollars we can eliminate 99% of all accidental deaths. Where can we get this money? We'll just print it. Instead of taxing us, the government can print $1 million dollar bills and spend them to make all of our dreams come true. Genius!

[katana]

Texas, home of the country's worst drivers

I surmise that you've never driven in Massachusetts.

[arthurus]

80,000 fatalities

And what year dose this statistic illustrate?

[camle]

the words "Crack" and "pot" occur to me.

if magnetic levitation was that simple, we'd have been there already.

[kanawa]

Electromagnetic Ping

[patricktschetter]

Okay, so how do farmers drive their tractors to the field? Or in the field? How about their grain trucks that need to get in there too, and possibly move around once there? Are you really going to lay a grid over every acre of farm land?

How about ATVs and motorcycles that can leave the roads behind? What are they powered by?