A small tweak that could avert driverless car gridlock

Dr Eric Crampton
Newsroom
31 March, 2026

Friction, at least as a metaphor for real-world inconveniences and minor hassles in doing things, is usually viewed as a bad thing. Something best done away with, if possible.

And that’s usually true.

But some frictions are load-bearing. Get rid of the friction, and important things can start falling over.

To read the article on the Newsroom website, click here.

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