Controlled Space
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Uncontrolled Space
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Why, you may ask, is Davius so concerned about the promised land, a paradise for CAVs? The reason is that, while he has always served travelers first and foremost, he actually cares about CAVs. How, you may ask, can this be, since there were few, if any, CAVs in the days of Julius Caesar? Davius has been known to signal us in mysterious ways, but in this case, his meaning is clear - if CAVs can travel safely and efficiently, human travelers will be well served. And, when his vision of the promised land is realized, and accidents and injuries to travelers are rare, CAV Systems will flourish, and travel happiness will be ours.
CAVWAYs will be controlled space, a concept inherited from controlled access, long applied to freeways. Restricting access to automobiles and other motor-driven vehicles has kept freeways free of most obstacles to smooth traffic flow under normal conditions. |
Controlled space stands in contrast to uncontrolled space, which does not directly impose requirements, such as speeds or spacing, on vehicles.
In California, it is currently legal for CAVs to operate in uncontrolled space as long as they follow the same protocols and account for the same obstacles and hazards as vehicles with drivers [reference]. However, even if CAVs were to replace large numbers of human-driven vehicles in uncontrolled space, it is difficult to envision how, without a consistent set of standards and protocols, CAVs could reduce congestion on freeways now plagued by traffic jams at peak travel hours and locations. |