Are Autonomous Cars Safe?
Autonomous cars are no longer a distant dream. Tesla already has a car with an advanced autopilot mode with some “automatic” features, including autonomous braking and self-parking, while Google, Delphi and Audi are currently developing and testing fully-autonomous models. These tests began years ago. Induct Navia is already using autonomous public shuttles in Europe and Asia. While this technology is flashy, futuristic and downright fun, one important question remains: Are they safe?
The benefits of this tech is clear. Consumers could have a more productive trip, working, reading, relaxing, or even updating Facebook, while their car drives them anywhere they need to go. Because the cars can travel at high speeds without the danger of crashing into each other, it will also shorten time on the road. Less time on the road also means less pollution and more time to do other things. Future cities could be designed without stoplights thanks to new super-efficient slot based intersections.
Theoretically, this technology could also save lives. According to a study by the Eno Center for Transportation, 90% of all driving accidents are caused by human error. These accidents are due in part to drunk/distracted driving or driver fatigue (Rear View Safety offers two systems to monitor driver fatigue, the RVS-350 Driver Fatigue Monitoring System and the RVS-335 Vuemate Driver Fatigue System). Driver fatigue and drunk/distracted driving would not be factors with a computer operated car. However, overall road safety would only increase if all or most of the cars on the road were autonomous.
There have been a few minor accidents during the testing of these vehicles. Human drivers of other cars have mostly been at fault for these accidents. The issue is that human drivers don’t know how to react to autonomous cars. Autonomous cars can also be targeted by hackers or people looking to test the limits of the new technology. The vehicles may also not be equipped to drive in poor weather conditions. How will it react differently on dirt roads in the country verses on a highway?
We are already familiar with some of the technology used in autonomous cars, including GPS and blind spot sensors. According to a recent study from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute, two thirds of Americans would be “very concerned” to “moderately concerned” about riding in a fully-autonomous vehicle. 96% would want a steering wheel and pedals as a back-up. We trust the technology, but only if we have a human controlled back-up plan. Will this attitude change after more tests? There will be some time to sort all of these issues out, while semi-autonomous cars are available now, it’s predicted that a fully autonomous car will not be available for purchase for another 20 years.
