Yes trucks slow down slower than cars but that's just physics. You've got the exact same problem with humans driving under say rainy or foggy conditions.
If anything driverless helps dramatically on this front. If you can run trucks 24/7 without stopping then you can cut their speed say 33% or whatever and still come out on top.
You can also adjust the cargo to reduce stopping distance - use autonomous truckers for things that are large but not heavy.
Or hell even just add more wheels for more stopping traction. Sure gets you more wear & tear but that's an infinitely easier problem than trying to teach an AI to recognise a kid running into the road in a busy urban steet or navigate construction site or whatever other surprises come up.
Author makes some valid points - stopping distance vs sensor range - but to me the conclusion that trucking on highways is hardest doesn't follow at all.
If anything driverless helps dramatically on this front. If you can run trucks 24/7 without stopping then you can cut their speed say 33% or whatever and still come out on top.
You can also adjust the cargo to reduce stopping distance - use autonomous truckers for things that are large but not heavy.
Or hell even just add more wheels for more stopping traction. Sure gets you more wear & tear but that's an infinitely easier problem than trying to teach an AI to recognise a kid running into the road in a busy urban steet or navigate construction site or whatever other surprises come up.
Author makes some valid points - stopping distance vs sensor range - but to me the conclusion that trucking on highways is hardest doesn't follow at all.