How safe are self-driving cars as a realistic future for our roads? (2024)

Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles, Expert Blog, General News, News, Newsletter, Secondary News, Self-Driving Vehicles

Mark Salisbury

With the recent growth in AI tools and tech offering a bold glimpse into an automated future, Mark Trimbee, CEO of personalised number plate provider Regtransfers, explores what this may mean for modes of transportation and driverless vehicles – focusing in particular on aspects of safety.

The concept of self-driven cars has excited many a tech geek and driving enthusiast for some time, but what was once the stuff of science fiction is fast becoming a reality, and there’s increasing interest in automated cars becoming commonplace in the not-too-distant future.

The safety of these automated systems is, quite rightly, under constant review. Last year, The Independent reported that self-driving cars were involved in 400 crashes, while in more recent news, a San Francisco pedestrian was found trapped under a driverless car. In the latter case, it was later revealed that while the automated vehicle was involved in the overall incident, it was not caused by it. Still, headlines such as these warrant the line of questioning as to whether driverless vehicles truly represent a safe way to travel in the future.

The safety levels of self-driving cars

Many may still be under the impression that self-driven cars are “distant future tech”, but the fact is that automated vehicles are already on the roads in some areas. Furthermore, most modern cars on the road presently incorporate some form of automation within their processes. As time passes and technology improves, these processes will eventually evolve to cover all parts of the car, potentially reaching the point at which, no matter where you sit, every seat becomes a passenger seat.

At this time, self-driven cars are still uncharted territory, which is why news stories of accidents involving automated vehicles raise questions as to whether they could have been avoided if a human driver had been behind the wheel. It’s important not to forget, however, that car accidents certainly aren’t a new phenomenon, and are in no way exclusive to automated vehicles.

Safety On The Roads

The latest statistics for road collisions in Great Britain during 2022 show that there were an estimated 1,695 fatalities, and 136,022 casualties of all severities as a result of road traffic accidents. We, as humans, have accidents, and if such a time comes in which the safety levels of automated cars surpass that of human capabilities, surely it will mean safer roads and fewer casualties all round – which is an ideal. Still, the concept of taking control away from a human driver who can think, react and make judgment calls brings warranted concerns and perhaps even a level of fear, especially at this stage with AI in relative infancy.

The Difficulties

At this moment in time, it may be easier to see the potential dangers and difficulties presented by self-driven cars. Some of these include:

• Security problems – smart products, applications and wearable tech are already presenting new challenges from a security standpoint, and the potential for malicious activities extends further when fully automated vehicles are considered. A car operating entirely from computer systems could be vulnerable to hacking – the severity of which increases if a large number of automated cars share the same network.
• Initial costs – a car capable of self-drive mode in the UK costs upwards of £50,000 (it is currently only legal to test automated cars on UK roads) – far out of the price range of many individuals. This problem is limited in time, however, as the beauty of technological development is that as things improve over time, costs will become affordable for the average car owner.
• The moral dilemma – one of the big questions asked of automated cars concerns everyday road traffic situations in which there is no “black and white” or binary solution that leads to 100% safety? If a self-driving car is left with two choices, both of which lead to the injury of either pedestrians or the passenger, who decides the logic of its choices, and why? Where such instances occur, the manufacturers of the intelligence behind self-driven cars – and the logic used – could be seen as “playing God”.
• Potential machine error – there is always room for error by the machine itself, and in a world where a car is completely automated, this puts the passenger and pedestrians at risk. This could be an issue if systems activate or deactivate when they should not, with the risk of fire from the batteries used in the cars, or potential breakdown or loss of control that leads to crashes.

The Benefits

The intent of raising these points is not to scaremonger – so far, the points raised against driverless cars are very real and very valid concerns when it comes to the current state of affairs. However, with time, tech and further development, there are selling points to self-driving cars and their promotion to much wider use in the future.

• The future prospect of higher safety levels – most car crashes are due to human error, and this has always been the case. The technology behind self-driving cars is based on algorithms and sophisticated technology designed to remove human error. A future of self-driven vehicles promises the potential eradication of accidents caused by someone becoming distracted, or by drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Better efficiency of traffic – with the advent of self-driving cars and the ability for effective inter-communication between them, this will lead to a smoother flow of traffic alongside safer journeys. A self-driving car with automated features will always choose the best route for each journey, boosting efficiencies of travel.
• Better for the environment – as self-driving cars will most likely be electric rather than using internal-combustion engines, there will be a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of car ownership, helping to reduce emissions on the roads and making travel more environmentally sustainable.
• A suitable transportation mode for many – for those people with a disability, the elderly, or those who may have avoided driving due to anxieties or nerves, a self-driving car will provide a much safer option for transportation. This proves especially beneficial in towns and cities where there is limited public transportation coverage.

Conclusion

With the advent of ChatGPT and other forms of AI becoming commonplace in various aspects of life, the scope for refinement is becoming more and more evident. The automated future ahead of us is both promising and exciting to behold. In driving – and on the topic of driverless vehicles, the prospective future of increased safety, sustainability and efficiency certainly attracts, but we may be some way from this being a tangible reality yet.