Driverless cars could be stopped in their tracks by solar storms

Autonomous technology is touted to be the future of driving. Experts in the field claim it could be safer and more efficient than having humans behind the wheel – but, it might prove no match for the forces of nature. This week's solar storm has served as a reminder that driverless cars have their limitations, too. Scientists say driverless cars, if designed in a way that's too reliant on GPS, may suffer complications during powerful space weather events, making it difficult to carry out their functions as intended. Experts this week warned that a minor storm generated by holes (white arrows in this August 2017 Nasa image) in the sun's outermost magnetic layer could cause'weak power grid fluctuations' and have a small'impact on satellite operations'.