I&#x27;m not convinced that leaving shorter gaps between cars increases volume. Instead it creates waves of drivers slamming on the brakes because they are unable to react gradually, creating congestion instead.<p>If we all left bigger gaps, we&#x27;d all be able to drive faster, increasing throughput (on highways, at least).<p>&gt; Now I wonder if google-driven cars would actually be less efficient for LA. Sure there wouldn&#x27;t be any traffic-slowing accidents, but there&#x27;d be 50% less volume traveling 20mph slower.<p>Self-driving cars in a line could detect and link up with each other, sharing sensor data on obstacles up ahead. In the end, this has the potential to safely reduce the gaps between cars at higher speeds and thus actually increase throughput, since the congestion issues with human drivers reacting separately would not apply.