Monthly Myth: Autonomous driving is a pipe dream

The pros and cons of driverless vehicles

 BY TIM BENFORD: PRESIDENT OF DRIVE ELECTRIC DAYTON, PAST VICE-PRESIDENT OF ELECTRIC AUTO ASSOCIATION

My brother Andy, who lives in the United Kingdom, is not alone in his view about autonomous driving: “What I find fascinating is how drivers get so excited about what Artificial Intelligence (AI) can do when they can do it perfectly well themselves. I just don’t see a need for it. I like driving!”

So, let’s review the pros and cons of AI-supported electric autonomous driving and determine if it is a fad or an inevitable future for all of us. 

Classification levels for automated vehicles 

Let’s start by listing the formal classification levels for automated cars proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Level 0: Driver has complete control of vehicle at all times

Level 1: Some vehicle controls are automated, e.g. automatic braking

Level 2: Two or more controls can be automated at the same time, e.g. cruise control and lane keeping

Level 3: The driver can yield control in certain circumstances

Level 4: Driver not expected to play any part in the driving process at all

Level 5: The vehicle performs autonomously in every scenario, including extreme and unusual conditions

Today, most vehicles are at least partially self-driving (Level 1 and 2) with automatic brake systems, cruise control, and lane assistance. Tesla has a beta version of a Level 2 system that enables autonomous driving on city streets. Several legacy auto manufacturers have, or are planning, Level 2 or above systems. 

Technologies used by automated vehicles

Automated vehicles sense their surroundings using technology such as Light Detection and Ranging, radar, Global Positioning Systems, ultrasonic sensors, and cameras. The sensory information they gather is then processed by computers to determine appropriate routes for the vehicle, avoiding obstacles and obeying the rules of the road. Most vehicles use a cloud-based digital map which  constantly updates according to sensory input. This allows the vehicle to adapt to changing situations as well as travel through previously unknown areas.

Advantages of automated vehicles

Of the many advantages of automated vehicles from Level 1 and above, safety is the most important. Human drivers often bend rules and take risks. In fact, over 94% of serious auto accidents in the United States are caused by driver error. Autonomous vehicles can be programmed to obey every rule and posted speed limit, making the roads safer for everyone.

Today’s sensory technology can perceive the environment more effectively than humans. It sees farther ahead, is more reliable in poor visibility, and detects smaller and more subtle obstacles. Accidents would be minimized or prevented, drunk driving becoming a thing of the past. And with fewer associated risks, insurance premiums for car owners could drop drastically.

As autonomous vehicles could be digitally connected, traffic could be far more coordinated in urban areas, preventing bottlenecks. Speed limits could be safely increased, thereby shortening journey and commute times. 

With the advent of autonomous vehicles, senior citizens, the disabled, and others unable to drive themselves would enjoy the freedom of solo vehicle travel.

Driving fatigue and becoming lost on the road would be things of the past, and travelers would be able to journey overnight and sleep for the duration. Entertainment technology, such as in-vehicle video screens, could be used without any concern of distracting the driver. Moving vehicles would become comfortable leisure spaces. Road rage would be reduced or disappear.

Self-driving cars could alleviate parking concerns in highly populated areas. For example, a passenger could exit at a destination where no parking is available, the car circling the block until summoned. Tesla has been working on this aspect of autonomy with its Smart Summon feature.

Disadvantages of automated vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are currently expensive. Tesla’s (expected to be autonomous) Full Self Driving (FSD) costs an additional $10,000 over the present vehicle purchase price. CEO Elon Musk predicts this figure will increase as FSD functionality improves.

As autonomous vehicles are programmed to obey all traffic control rules and regulations, the individual vehicles and traffic might be slower. Some have observed that these vehicles behave like student drivers: slow, conservative, and timid. Sharing the road with autonomous vehicles may annoy human drivers. But, as manufacturers advance their technology, performance is likely to improve.

A minor computer malfunction could possibly cause a far worse accident than anything human error might incur. And should hackers penetrate a vehicle's software, safe operation could become a major concern.

Legal, ethical, and financial responsibility in an autonomous vehicle accident will need to be litigated and precedents set. Who is at fault, the software designer or the owner of the vehicle?

Automakers will need to plan for the ethical dilemmas arising from autonomous driving. For instance, what will the vehicle choose to do when faced with either plowing into a group of schoolchildren or going off a bridge and killing all its passengers? 

Autonomous vehicles will have to learn to deal with erratic human behavior which can be complex and unpredictable—and hand signals are difficult for a computer to understand.

Because privately-owned autonomous electric vehicles (EVs) are communicating with data centers, your location would be potentially accessible to people or organizations who could hack into the network. So data privacy issues will need to be addressed by manufacturers.

Summary

On balance, autonomous vehicles have the potential to be an incredible benefit to the future of humanity. Increased productivity, rest time, and the possible elimination of risk while driving may greatly improve all of our lives. But if these vehicles are made available to the public before safety and privacy considerations are solved, they may also present serious new complications for consumers.

Indeed, Elon Musk has forecast that Tesla will offer vehicles able to perform as Level 5 Robotaxis by the end of 2021 and be "at least 100% safer than a human driver." Many consequences may ensue from this vehicular advancement.

Love them or hate them, autonomous vehicles of one level of automation or another seem to be an inevitable, marvelous, emerging innovation that all of us should be watching closely.