- Why Do They Matter?
- Self-Driving Cars
- Self Driving Cars Pros And Cons
- Pros
- Cons
- Should We Be Afraid Of Driverless Cars?
Self-driving cars are a double-edged sword.
Self-driving cars may have seemed like a myth a decade ago. Still, a few manufacturers have already reached Level 3 autonomous driving, which is more than halfway toward the goal of building actual autonomous vehicles. Honda did it first with the Honda Legend Hybrid EX, which is the Japanese version of the Acura TLX.
If you're unfamiliar with the rating system, a globally accepted standard goes up to Level 5, where the driver is no longer required. Car technology is evolving rapidly, especially in the electric segment.
But before we get to that, we must first understand what self-driving cars are.
Why Do They Matter?
Fossil fuels are quickly becoming a thing of the past, and one day the human driver will likely follow. You might think it's a pipe dream, but a whole new generation of people have no interest in car ownership. They see autonomous cars as a huge win because they will be the most efficient transportation. These people want to sit back and be passengers. The current car-buying public can't stomach the idea of self-driving technology taking away what has become one of the ultimate ways of expressing freedom. But those opinions are rapidly dwindling, and their benefits are hard to ignore.
Automated driving systems are the next big step forward, so we need to know both the pros and cons of driverless cars.
Self-Driving Cars
Self-driving vehicles go by many names, but this one has become the most popular because of Tesla, even though the American automaker has been called out many times for using the term without having the technology to live up to the name. Other standard terms are autonomous vehicles, driverless cars, and automated cars.
We prefer automated vehicles as opposed to autonomous vehicles. We make this distinction purely because the autonomous vehicle does not exist yet. Autonomy suggests an artificial intelligence capable of learning and adapting. Automated cars respond to a situation using only man-made programming. This programming can be updated over time, but at the end of the day, a so-called autonomous vehicle (as they're mostly known) can only do what a line of code tells it to do. A prime example is the advanced driver assist feature known as automatic braking.
While it may appear as if the car is self-driving, it’s just code. The vehicle goes through a series of yes or no questions within the blink of an eye. Is there a pedestrian in front of the car? Yes. Is the human behind the wheel paying attention? No. Will one or more pedestrians get hurt if the brakes aren’t applied right now? Yes. And then it applies the brakes.
Cars with these advanced driving features are Level 2. These systems are responsible for a reduction in car crashes, but the driver still needs to be in charge of the vehicle at all times.
As mentioned, Level 3 is the highest we’ve gone so far; even so, it’s just a higher level of automation. The vehicle can monitor its surroundings and accelerate, brake, steer, and change lanes. In certain areas where the highway code allows, a driver can even remove their hands.
Level 4 is where we reach actual autonomy. This is when the car starts to think for itself, and it can analyze complex situations and work around them. Even so, a Level 4 self-driving car still needs a steering wheel so the driver can take over if the vehicle is flummoxed. Computers can only handle so much. For now, at least.
Up until now, we’ve been dealing with human-driven cars. Level 5 removes human error entirely. The vehicle doesn’t need a steering wheel because it can do everything a human can without human error. When discussing human error, think of distracted driving, road rage, straying over speed limits, and losing control.
Only when automakers reach Level 5 can we rightfully start using terms like driverless, autonomous, and self-driving cars.
Since the technology does not yet exist, and human drivers are still going to be around for a while, the self-driving car's pros and cons we’ll be exploring are all theoretical.
Self Driving Cars Pros And Cons
According to the NHTSA, one of the main pros of self-driving cars is safety. It says that more than 90% of traffic accidents are caused by human error, so if you remove us from the formula, there will, theoretically, be a decrease in road accidents and an overall increase in road safety.
Autonomous vehicles will also be more environmentally friendly, and these cars could potentially reduce emissions. How, exactly?
Well, once computers are in charge of transport, connected technology will significantly leap forward. Many automakers have proposed that self-driving vehicles could tap into the systems that regulate traffic.
Pros
Basically, a car will know at exactly what speed it needs to move to reduce congestion. Traffic flow will increase, and the fuel savings will be immense, whether a car is powered by fossil fuels or electricity. So, reducing emissions is one big plus for autonomous vehicles.
We're also looking at fewer accidents, most likely in urban areas. Without being connected to information, improved safety in rural areas remains in the air. We must wonder how these cars will handle narrow lanes or roads without clearly painted lines. If you've ever driven on UK roads, you'll be forgiven for thinking autonomous driving is a pipe dream.
Cons
The cons of self-driving cars are both clear and not. While they may make the roads safer, we have to mention potential job losses, security issues, and more severe vehicle crashes.
The job losses as a result of the driverless car will be severe. Taxi drivers will lose their jobs because taxi services will buy vehicles that don't need drivers. Cars don't get sick or need a holiday. Delivery services also won't require humans, and Uber drivers can kiss their jobs goodbye. Once self-driving vehicles are upscaled, bus drivers will lose their jobs because the people in charge of public transportation will come to the same conclusion. That's a lot of lost jobs across the world. The future seems bleak for everyone who makes a living from driving.
Autonomous technology also poses a security threat from multiple angles. We’re sure automakers will use advanced security to prevent a car from getting hacked. However, as mentioned earlier, these cars are expected to connect to loads of external servers, possibly even other vehicles on the road. This may make them vulnerable.
Cars will also have more computers than ever, putting them at greater risk to hackers. And they’ll likely get hold of your credit card information because once you have nothing to do in a car, you’ll probably subscribe to some streaming service. We’re already seeing the first examples of this coming through for people who are waiting while charging their electric vehicles.
In the pros section, we mentioned a reduction in crashes, but one of the most significant theoretical negatives of self-driving cars is an increase in the severity of impacts. Fewer cars mean less traffic, likely resulting in a higher top speed. If an autonomous car does crash, it will probably lose control at a higher speed. A higher speed means more damage to passengers.
But the biggest con is that all cars would need to be driverless. We can't have a scenario with a 50:50 split or even a case where most vehicles are autonomous. Even if we had just 1% human drivers, human error is still in play.
Self-driving systems can be as evolved as possible, but even they can't accurately predict what a drunk person might do.
Should We Be Afraid Of Driverless Cars?
As an entity, the car is too ingrained in society to be obliterated within 50 years. Driving is also a freedom people won't willingly give up. And looking at the job losses mentioned earlier, self-driving vehicles are pretty scary. Conversely, automated vehicles can improve our lives if manufacturers can get them to function correctly over a long period.
Currently, we can't see a future where driving is wholly eradicated. Therefore, we don't believe Level 5 will ever happen. The experts agree with us on this topic. At best, we'll have Level 4 to handle all the mundane tasks, while a driver can take over when the journey gets more interesting.
Keyword: Self-Driving Cars Pros and Cons: Navigating the Future of Transportation