I was actually about to write this one up myself when I saw that Chris had already tackled it. But what I can tell you is this…I really don’t think that car will EVER be available for sale in at least the United States.
Here are three reasons why you’ll likely never see this car on the road.
1. Local police departments need red light runner fines. No police department in its right mind would ever shoot itself in the foot by letting a car that brakes, automatically, at red lights onto the streets without a fight. Do you know how many millions of dollars have been spent on cameras to make sure red light runners are caught and promptly billed? There’s too much riding on this to not act!
2. Insurance companies need a reason to keep premiums jacked up. The only people with bigger and better lawyers than the criminal justice system is the insurance industry. If a car comes out that makes red light accidents a thing of the past, it will destroy insurance companies. Premiums will be all but required to drop in the face of plummeting accident rates, and this does horrible things to insurance companies’ bottom lines.
3. Massive investment is required to make them work. Not only does that car require a smart chip to determine when the light is about to change, it also requires revamped stoplights to transmit that information in the first place. Local municipalities will NEVER allow a car to hit the roads that not only removes revenue but also increases expenses, at the very least not without a fight.
So those three reasons are exactly why I wouldn’t look for the autobraking car any time soon.
Tags: autobrake, concept car, insurance companies, local municipalities, Mercedes, red light