The world has set its eyes on the advancement of self-driving technology. It’s a breakthrough that will revolutionise the field of mobility. As a technologically advanced nation, the UAE is also preparing for the widespread adoption of autonomous vehicles.
The country has already introduced various laws and initiatives concerning the use of self-driving cars on public roads. Yet, amid all this progress, a crucial question persists: are self-driving cars safer than human drivers? To answer it appropriately, we will explore the important technical aspects of self-driving technology and its large-scale deployment.
Understanding the Different Levels of Vehicle Autonomy
Vehicle autonomy refers to the ability of a car to navigate without human intervention. It may depend on the Advance Driver Assistant System (ADAS). From simple driver assistance to full automation, there are five levels of vehicle autonomy. Let’s quickly explore them one by one:
Level 1 – Driver Assistance
This level features basic driver assistance, including adaptive cruise control or lane-keeping assist. These systems can assist with some functions but still require the driver’s active involvement and monitoring.
Some noteworthy examples include advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla’s Autopilot, GM’s Super Cruise and Nissan’s Direct Adaptive Steering.
Level 2 – Partial Automation
This level of vehicle autonomy system involves systems that can simultaneously control acceleration, braking, and steering. However, the driver must stay attentive and ready to take over control if required.
Level 3 – Conditional Automation
At this level, the vehicle can handle most driving tasks under ideal conditions. The driver is not required to monitor the vehicle continuously.
Level 4 – High Automation
The vehicle is capable of performing most driving tasks without human input or intervention. However, the availability of high automation is often subjected to geofencing or specific area restrictions.
Level 5 – Full Automation
The highest level of vehicle autonomy, which is capable of fully autonomous driving under all conditions and environments. Such vehicles are meant to operate without a human driver and occupants are mere passengers.
The aforementioned automation levels are a fine example of the application of artificial intelligence in cars.
Benefits of Self-driving Cars
Here are some of the most noteworthy benefits of AI in autonomous cars.
Enhanced Road Safety
Human error accounts for a majority of road accidents. Implementing a reliable self-driving system can reduce driver errors, which often lead to accidents. Automated vehicles can also provide safe mobility solutions to People of Determination, individuals with cognitive issues and senior citizens.
Reduced Traffic Congestion
Vehicles with self-driving systems can share information with each other regarding their speed, location and direction. This phenomenon of vehicle-to-vehicle communication can help lower the traffic problems, such as bottlenecks and congestion.
Stress-free Parking
Self-driving vehicles eliminate the need for drivers to search for parking spaces. Their advanced parking features allow passengers to be dropped off directly at their destinations. The car would utilise its advanced AI sensors and GPS systems to find a suitable parking slot.
Environmental Benefits
By analysing the maps, self-driving technology can optimise the driving route. This will not only result in fuel efficiency but also cut down a car’s carbon emissions.
Are Self-driving Cars Safer Than Human Drivers?
Self-driving cars may have an edge over human drivers in certain aspects. Unlike humans, autonomous systems never experience fatigue, distractions from activities like texting, or engage in illegal manoeuvres while driving.
Avoiding all such driving errors significantly reduces the chances of accidents. However, there are still many challenges in self-driving technology that need to be overcome. It’s important to note that driverless cars may still face difficulties navigating through the following situations.
Inner-City Traffic Challenges
It may still be a challenge for driverless cars to navigate through the chaotic nature of inner-city traffic. The complex and unpredictable traffic patterns of urban environments can impact the decision-making capabilities of autonomous vehicles.
Impact of Bad Weather
Adverse weather conditions, such as heavy rain or fog can impair the sensors and systems of driverless cars. The compromised sensor performance in such conditions can affect the vehicle’s ability to navigate safely.
Lack of Intuition and Instinct
Computers lack intuition and instinct like humans, which can influence decision-making in certain situations. For instance, a human driver may instinctively avoid an open manhole on the road, knowing the potential danger.
In contrast, a self-driving car may fail to react appropriately due to the absence of intuition. As a result, it could collide with a person emerging from the manhole unexpectedly.
Vulnerable to Hacking and Cyber Attacks
Embedded with a high-tech set of sensors and advanced computers, autonomous vehicles are prone to hacking. These smart cars can be hacked in many different ways. Such cyberattacks could be extremely dangerous for vehicle passengers and other people on the road.
To prevent such attacks, carmakers are required to continually review the self-driving software in autonomous vehicles to ensure it hasn’t been altered. Moreover, self-driving cars must adhere to autonomous vehicle laws in the UAE to be driven on roads.
Can Self-driving Cars Promise a Zero-accident Future?
Driverless cars have state-of-the-art cameras and sensor technologies. It can help them map an accurate image in real-time of the immediate surroundings and the route ahead.
The ADAS system paired with essential car safety features makes it much more convenient to ensure safe driving. Since autonomous cars are powered by AI, they can learn from their experiences to improve over time.
Using machine learning algorithms, these vehicles can analyse vast amounts of data from real-world driving scenarios. Autonomous vehicle systems can then use that knowledge to enhance their driving capabilities.
This was our logical response to the question: are self-driving cars safer than human drivers? However, it is premature to make a definitive statement as the technology is still in the development and testing phase. Nevertheless, autonomous vehicles need to be safe and reliable before they can be deployed on a large scale.
As of now, fully autonomous cars aren’t publicly available. However, you can still benefit from driving vehicles with different levels of automation. Try picking a vehicle with the ADAS system like the ones mentioned below:
For more informative pieces on emerging automotive technologies, keep in touch with the dubizzle car blog.
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