Dangerous Roads newsletter: You can't make eye contact with a driverless car. That might feel normal one day.

I'm filling in this week for my colleague Alfonso after writing this week about driverless cars for the latest story in the Dangerous Roads series.

Last year, on a vacation to San Francisco, I saw self-driving cars for the first time.

My partner and I passed a driverless Waymo SUV on our drive into the city from the airport. Soon, we encountered them regularly in the neighborhood where we stayed. On our way to a coffee shop, we walked in front of one, which waited patiently (if such a word can be used for a robot), its navigational system whirring, until we made it across the street.

It felt eerie not to make eye contact with a driver, but for many people in the Bay Area, self-driving cars already seemed to be a normal part of daily life.

For my story about driverless cars and other safety-related technology, I attended a conference on autonomous vehicles at Hunter College in Manhattan. Outside, a Waymo rep displayed one of the company’s shiny white vehicles bedecked with cameras, radar and laser systems. Driverless cars are not yet road-legal in New York State, so it sat idle at the curb, but in contrast to California, the Waymo attracted quite a bit of attention.

Some passersby took selfies. 

It struck me as odd that driverless cars have become part of the public consciousness much more in some parts of the country than others. If you haven’t been to one of the dozen cities where Waymo, Zoox and Tesla’s Robotaxi now operate, you may not have thought about them much. And that's strange, given they could soon radically alter how we get around, live and work.

My recent article focuses on driverless cars from a safety perspective. But the technology also raises other important questions: If driverless vehicles become widespread in places like Long Island, what will happen to the livelihoods of transportation workers? Could driverless cars ease life for people with disabilities, or seniors who want to age in place? How affordable will the technology be, and who will profit? What will be the long-term effects on traffic, if people drive more because commutes are easier? How will they impact car ownership and public transit?

Right now, it seems like discussions around the future of driverless cars are playing out at a very local, micro level — and not much at all in places where they could be coming soon. 

I fell sick before we could go on a Waymo ride during the California trip, but my partner and I did make it onto another type of conveyance. We rode up Nob Hill in a cable car, driven by two humans — one who stood at the front, controlling the connection with the underground cable, and the other who heaved his body onto a braking lever each time we stopped. 

A tourist attraction today, cable cars were introduced in the 1870s and dominated San Francisco's streets before being mostly replaced by electric streetcars, then automobiles. Each of these forms of transportation must have seemed strange when first introduced, only to eventually be accepted as "normal." 

I wonder how future generations will look back on the beginning of the driverless car age we are now entering.

Readers speak up

Following the New York State Police's announcement of a seven-week-long crackdown on aggressive driving on the Southern State Parkway, some readers, like this one, reached out to share their belief that public officials should be doing more to keep our roads safe.

Maryland can add speed traps to their highways. New York City can add speed traps to their streets. But Long Island's politicians are from The Less family: brothers Clew and Youse and sister Hope.

For God's sake get some speed traps on the Southern State so that the Maseratis, BMWs, Acuras and Lexuses can slow down.

Brian Bofill, Bethpage

We want to hear from you

From Newsday transportation reporter Alfonso A. Castillo:

It has been incredibly rewarding to hear from readers like Brian since we started this newsletter a year ago. While we’ll keep examining the perils faced by drivers, we're looking to broaden this newsletter to address other pressing transportation issues facing Long Islanders.

Maybe you're frustrated with the cost of an LIRR ticket or with flight delays at MacArthur Airport. Maybe you've got a story about getting seasick riding the Port Jefferson-Bridgeport Ferry, or a not-so-nice memory of riding a NICE Bus. We want to capture and share your concerns, frustrations and tips for navigating on, off and around Long Island. And we want you to be a part of the conversation.

What are some transportation issues you’d like to see explored in this newsletter going forward? Do you have any suggestions for a new name for it? Let us know at roads@newsday.com.

By Peter Gill

peter.gill@newsday.com