Final answer:
Assuming self-driving cars could significantly increase average speeds, a person could commute from Bennington, Vermont, to Manhattan, New York, in an hour and a half, covering an estimated distance of 300 miles in that time, given the potential for advanced technology and optimized traffic flow.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Coughlin and Yoquinto, the question posits a scenario where highways consist mostly of self-driving cars. In such a scenario, a person could complete a commute from Bennington, Vermont, to Manhattan, New York, in an estimated time of one and a half hours. To find the distance that could be covered in that timeframe, we'd need to make an assumption about the average speed of self-driving cars. For example, if we assume that self-driving cars could maintain a constant speed of 60 miles per hour, the distance covered in 1.5 hours would be 90 miles. However, actual highway speeds could be faster, possibly exceeding 100 miles per hour in a future with advanced self-driving technology and optimized traffic flow. Given the distance options provided: a) 300 miles, b) 400 miles, c) 500 miles, d) 600 miles, we would be inclined to choose the option that closely represents the likely average speed and the time given. Currently, the distance from Bennington to Manhattan is approximately 170 miles. If future self-driving cars could potentially triple the average speed to match or exceed 100 miles per hour, then option a) 300 miles would be the most feasible estimate.