Still the human element

By Colin Windell

 

 

So much attention has been focused on the benefits autonomous vehicles may be able to provide, the hype has rather lost sight of the fact there will still be significant human interaction.

Although self-driving technology avoids crashes, imperfect human operators will still share the road and share the wheel.

A recent report by The Governors Highway Safety Association’s (GHSA’s) in the USA, Preparing for Automated Vehicles: Traffic Safety Issues for States analyses market trends and finds most AVs for the foreseeable future will share driving responsibility with humans and are likely do so for many decades.

Human operators will still exert significant control and will be able to change their vehicle’s AV level dynamically, just as drivers today can activate or deactivate cruise control.  

Dr Jim Hedlund, a former senior official with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, authored the report.

“Imperfect human drivers are not disappearing anytime soon and even with self-driving technology, they will still be in a position to cause crashes, deaths, and injuries on our roads,” says Jonathan Adkins, GHSA Executive Director. “As autonomous vehicle technology advances, states still must invest in programs to prioritise safe travel behaviour.”

Survey research aggregated for the report shows many consumers are sceptical about AVs.

“Many people are unconvinced of the safety benefits of AVs and unwilling to share the road or to ride in them,” says Ryan Gammelgard, Counsel at State Farm (who sponsored the study). “However, research suggests public enthusiasm and support will grow as people learn more about AVs and are able to experience them first-hand – and if there is objective proof the technology operates better than humans.”

The new report notes autonomous technology short of full automation presents a number of important behavioural safety issues related to how operators and passengers use this technology.

Inattention is of particular concern when operators expected to monitor driving may not do so as diligently as they should and, even an operator who does not need to monitor the road for long periods may not be able quickly to re-engage if distracted.

Unlicensed operators also pose potential harm, as they may be able to activate an AV but be prevented from taking over control of the vehicle if needed.

“States need to consider a number of new issues related to the practical deployment of this technology,” says author Dr Hedlund.  “One of the most important goals should be to educate the public about the benefits and risks of this technology, how to use it safely and drive near AVs in traffic.”