Self-driving cars - is the world ready?
Recent innovations mean that autonomous cars are a thing of reality rather than science fiction. But is the world ready for self-driving cars?
Google is the most well-known for their driverless car project. They have around ten cars that are road-tested in California. Six of these are Toyota Priuses, which are electric cars. Other notable examples of companies working on driverless cars are Tesla, Apple, Chevrolet and Audi.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has stated that some form of autonomy will be available in Tesla cars this year, allowing cars to drive themselves on major roads such as motorways. Apple announced earlier this year that they were working on a self-driving car, but it will be a few years yet before we see any signs of it. Audi, too, has a self-driving car project. So far, they have developed an Audi A7 with autonomous capabilities.
Self-driving car concepts have been shown off by Chevrolet, playing with the design and layout of a car that has no steering wheel and no driver.
It is possible that the ultimate aim for companies like Tesla and Google is to improve the internet connectivity of cars and integrate them into the broader internet of things. Having cars that can be a part of the greater system of connected devices would be a great advantage to car companies and tech companies alike.
However, there are many opponents to autonomous vehicles, and the vehicles are not without their disadvantages.
Problems may arise from the fact that people are not comfortable being in a car that is not being controlled by one of the passengers. Since the invention of vehicles, humans have always been in control. We may be reluctant to relinquish our control and allow computers to take over, no matter how capable they are.
There is also the concern, as with the internet of things, that autonomous car systems could be hacked by an external cause, leading to danger and possible fatality. This additional risk to the security of our vehicles may cause problems for the autonomous car industry. Also, autonomous cars could be used for the shipment of illegal items, which will cause problems with legal accountability, or to carry unaccompanied explosives into populated areas undetected.
There are also larger scale problems that could arise in a world filled with autonomous cars. There will be loss of jobs in driving industries such as truck drivers, taxi drivers, chauffeurs, delivery of courtesy cars, car salespersons who assist with test driving, pizza delivery, product shipment and so on.
Also, there is the issue that if cars are autonomous, we may no longer own our own cars. We may instead pay a subscription to a taxi service, and then a suitable car will pick us up. There may also be encouragement for car sharing, making cars a public transport system rather than a personal commodity. While this will be better for the environment, it may mean we have to wait around for cars to pick us up and have to car share, leading to a loss in efficiency and privacy.
A big problem for autonomous cars is ethics. For example, the car will not know how to make a decision in a lose-lose scenario. A human driver may choose to veer off the road to avoid a child and risk their own safety, but the car cannot make this decision as it is simply a machine, and machines cannot make ethical decisions. If the car chose to run over the child, who is accountable? The passengers of the car? The programmers? The car itself? The answer is unclear.
Driverless cars also pose the problem that they cause high levels of motion sickness compared with other vehicles. This is not only due to sudden turns from the vehicle, but also because there is no indication the car is about to make a turn. With a human driver they will use the indicator, they will look left and right at a junction, they will move their arms as they turn the wheel, and so on. An autonomous car does not do these things, and so sudden turns can cause motion sickness as the passengers are not prepared for the movement.
Furthermore, roads will have to be altered entirely to account for driverless cars. Current road features like traffic lights will have to be altered so they can be read and connected with driverless cars. Features like zebra crossings will have to be re-thought as driverless cars cannot register when someone is waiting to cross. Also, new road laws will have to be put in place to protect cyclists and pedestrians as autonomous cars may not recognise their presence on the road.
However, on the other hand, autonomous cars will lead to fewer road collisions and fatalities. The cars will also be able to travel safely at faster speeds, raising speed limits and allowing us to reach our destinations faster. Also, the lack of need for a driver means that passengers are free to do other tasks while in the car. Car insurance premiums will also be lower, meaning cars will eventually be cheaper due to their autonomy.
The dawn of self-driving cars will bring a range of advantages (mainly safety) and its major problems are sure to be overcome. To begin with, driverless cars will be out of the acceptable price range for most people, and will simply be a luxury item, but one day they may be affordable for all. One thing is sure – autonomous cars are an inevitable eventuality.