Self-Driving Cars are Obedient but Not Smart

Would You Trust a Car with No Brake Pedal or Steering Wheel?

Our Future with Self-Driving Cars

Futurists predicted self-driving (and flying) vehicles decades ago, often as part of science fiction stories. It has taken longer than expected, but they are now very close to reality for the average motorist.

Autonomous vehicles (eg robo taxis) are rolling out in various countries overseas, and the technology is actively being tested locally. Indeed, the Australian National Transport Commission (NTC) has released its policy on what changes will be necessary to our road laws to deal with on-road enforcement of autonomous vehicles.

Levels of Driver Automation

There are five generally accepted levels for vehicle automation, these being:

Level 1:       Very light eg speed managed with cruise control.

Level 2:      Safety features include adaptive cruise control, anti-lock brakes, stability control. Driver monitors and can take control at any time.

Level 3:     Vehicle has sensors to detect road features and obstacles and can perform most driving, but driver to monitor and over-ride still required.

Level 4:      Car fully automated and able to operate on any type of road in all conditions. Driver over-ride still possible.

Level 5:    People are purely passengers with no driving controls in the cabin. So presumably no driving licence required and no alcohol limit.

Most new vehicles are already at level 2 with some models capable of level 3 self-driving. Full level 4 and 5 vehicles are being rolled out overseas eg robo-taxis in US.

Autonomous Cars are Obedient but Not Smart

Autonomous vehicles are 100 percent obedient, but they are not intuitive and do not get smarter with experience like humans.

Autonomous cars are not intuitive and do not get smarter with experience

We underestimate how sophisticated our human mind is when we think programming a car to drive itself is straight forward. We interpret thousands of little things as we drive and adapt and learn from them.

For example, we don’t slam on the brakes if a large bug flies into the windscreen, but some autonomous vehicles have initiated emergency stops in busy traffic when something flew across a forward sensor, and it interpreted a “possible collision”.

Autonomous vehicles at this stage are not self-learning machines, and programmers have to anticipate every conceivable circumstance and provide instructions for the car. We reported in our December newsletter that a robo-taxi had driven into a fire scene, and another went through temporary danger tape across the road to warn of a fallen tree.

Who is Responsible for Autonomous Car Accidents?

When autonomous vehicles hit the road in Australia without direct supervision, who will be accountable for any accidents?

If the vehicle is a level 5, with no driver controls, the vehicle manufacturer and autonomous systems developer would have to be accountable for any deficiencies in their system which causes or contributes to an accident.

However, if it is a level 4 autonomous vehicle and the “driver” does not intervene, or quickly enough, to avoid or minimise an accident will they be liable, as they may not be looking at the road ahead?

Licenced drivers will almost certainly remain responsible for monitoring safe operation and over-riding any driver aids for vehicles of level 1 to 3.

This story has a long way to go, and we will update you on the safety issues as this exciting development takes to the roads.

“We don’t intend to stop driving, but we will look back one day and realise we have”

Do Car Companies Have a Sense of Humour

You may have wondered, do car companies have a sense of humour. Well, yes at least one does, Tesla.

Franz von Holzhausen laughs at his own failure after breaking the window

Stick-on decal you can buy for your Cybertruck window

Some may remember the highly publicised failure back in 2019 when the Tesla chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, broke a side window at the unveiling event of the proposed Cybertruck when he threw a metal ball at it. He had intended to demonstrate how strong it was.

Now, Tesla is selling a stick-on decal for the Cybertruck side window to celebrate that famous failure. The decal can be purchased at the Tesla online store for about A$80.