Autonomous vehicles have the potential to save lives, but would you be okay with them taking some with you?
- Autonomous driving technology has come a long way, but how good is good enough?
- Is it okay for autonomous vehicles to be as good as human drivers, or do they have to be better?
Nearly seven years ago, GM CEO Mary Barra said we were “in the midst of a transportation revolution” that would lead to a future with no accidents, no emissions and no congestion. Time has not been kind to this idealistic dream, as electric vehicle adoption is slower and the autonomous landscape looks much less rosy.
However, our focus today is on autonomous vehicles as Tesla prepares to unveil its RoboTaxi this summer, while Cruise tries to overcome a high-profile accident. The latter raises an important question: How safe is safe enough for autonomous vehicles?
More: Cruise returns to Phoenix streets with human drivers
Although there are six levels of automation, we focus on level 4 and 5 systems that do not require a human to operate. In an ideal world, you would own or flag down a vehicle with this technology and it would automatically drive to your location. The vehicle will then safely take you to your destination while you take a nap or relax.
However, we do not live in an ideal world. People are unpredictable, irrational and occasionally careless. Technology can help, but can it predict every possible scenario involving drivers, pedestrians and cyclists?
That seems unlikely, despite many lofty promises from executives and technology companies. Additionally, goodness is much easier to achieve than perfection, and this could make the streets safer by now.
Although there are many ways to think about it, where should the line be drawn? Are autonomous vehicles okay if they are just as good as human drivers? Do they need to improve or are accidents unacceptable?
This raises uncomfortable questions as we wonder how many people can be sacrificed. However, preliminary estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest that 40,990 people died in car accidents last year and that there were 1.26 deaths per 100 million miles driven.
Many would argue that these numbers are too high and that any decline would be a step in the right direction. But how good is good enough when it comes to autonomous driving technology?
