Right: Not guilty; the fatal crash of a Tesla electric car was the fault of the driver, according to an inquiry, which found that the driver-assistance systems were used beyond their stated limits by the motorist.
 Found a word you're not familiar with? Double-click that word to bring up a dictionary reference to it. The dictionary page includes an audio sound file with which to actually hear the word said. |
Arguments in favour of Australia adopting driverless vehicles
1. The wide-spread introduction of fully- or semi-automated cars will reduce the road toll
One of the major arguments offered in support of fully- or semi-automated cars is that were they in general use they could drop the road toll to almost nothing.
Researchers in the United States estimate that by the middle of this century fully-automated cars could reduce road fatalities by 90 percent. This reduction in loss of life has been claimed to be similar in size to that brought about by the introduction of modern vaccines. Extrapolating these figures world-wide it been suggested that driverless cares could save 10 million lives per decade.
A report released in September, 2017, by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that two percent of major accidents were caused by the environment, two percent by vehicle failure and two percent by 'unknown' causes. The remaining 94 percent were attributed to human error.
Proponents of automated cars argue that figures such as these demonstrate the extent to which human lives could be saved by the widespread use of automated vehicles.
Hussein Dia, chair of Civil Engineering at Swinburne University of Technology, has stated, 'A large proportion (of car accidents) could be avoided by using self-driving vehicles and there is compelling logic in removing humans - the key source of the error - from the driving equation. Driven by artificial intelligence, these vehicles will not make errors of judgement the way a human driver does.
They will not drink and drive. They will not fall asleep behind the wheel. They will not get distracted by playing Pokemon Go.'
In August, 2017, The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources released its report on ' Social issues relating to land-based automated vehicles in Australia'. The Committee concluded, 'Given the wide range of witnesses arguing that autonomous, or even highly automated, vehicles could lead to a substantial reduction in the number of deaths and injuries on Australian roads, the committee is of the view that this important social goal should make the introduction of these vehicles a priority for Australia'
It has been claimed that even should automated cars occasionally misread the road or traffic circumstances in which they are placed, the accidents they have will be far fewer than those attributable to human error. It has further been noted that improvements in technology will mean that the incidence of accidents in automated cars will continue to decline.
Hod Lipson, professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University, has stated, 'Yes, driverless cars are going to have accidents. But they're going to have fewer accidents than humans. And unlike humans, driverless cars are going to keep getting better, halving the number of accidents per mile every so many months. The sooner we get on that exponential trajectory, the better.'
2. Trials will be undertaken before fully automated vehicles are allowed onto Australian roads
Both car manufacturers and governments recognise that before semi- and fully-automated vehicles can be allowed on roads in Australia or elsewhere they will have to be exhaustively tested. This is necessary for two reasons. The first is to guarantee utility and safety, the second is to ensure public confidence in the vehicles. Without a high level of public trust in the safety and reliability of automated cars, consumers will not purchase them and other drivers will not agree to share the roads with them.
The development process for automatic vehicles involves ongoing trialling. The process has been described by Cruise, a designer and manufacturer of automatic cars. 'These robots [automatic vehicles] didn't appear overnight. We knew we'd discover new things along the way, so we took an iterative approach to development and built several generations of vehicles. In fact, by the time General Motors completed its acquisition of Cruise in mid 2016, we had already retrofitted our self-driving systems onto the Chevrolet Bolt EV platform to create our 1st generation test vehicles. We've already put hundreds of thousands of complex urban miles on these vehicles, and exposure to the many challenging situations we've encountered along the way has rapidly improved our software.'
Once the cars have been brought to the state of readiness Cruise describes through research and development trialling, they are then tested further under the observation of government authorities. This is the situation in Australia where a series of state-based trials are about to begin.
On December 15, 2016, VicRoads released a discussion paper titled 'Future Directions Paper: How Victoria will continue to support the development of automated vehicles'
One of the key understandings around which the paper was written was 'Before we can experience the benefits, on-road trials will be critical to the safe development of these technologies'. The paper further noted, 'Given the potential safety benefits they present, VicRoads considers that on-road trials of automated vehicles are essential to guide their safe development for use in Australia, and for enhancing public acceptance.'
Perth is set to become the first Australian city, and one of the first places in the world, to trial on-demand driverless cars capable of picking up passengers.
On November 30, 2017, it was announced that a driverless taxi service is to be trialled in Perth beginning in April, 2018. The Western Australian Government has partnered with the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) and the French company behind the technology, NAVYA, to bring several driverless cars to the state for testing in 2018. Perth was one of three cities chosen for the trial, the others being Paris and a United States city yet to be announced.
The vehicles will be tested on private roads before being taken onto city streets later in the year. If the trials are successful it is anticipated that the service will be operating in Perth by 2021.
3. Adjustments to roads and regulations will be made to ensure safety
All Australian state and territory governments have demonstrated an awareness that before automated vehicles can be safely tested on Australian roads there will need to be adjustments made to roads and signage and alterations made to the rules and regulations that govern road use.
The Australian Government's Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities has begun planning for some of the physical changes to roads and signage that will be required when automated cars are trialled and then in more general use. In a statement issued on December 1, 2017, the Department declared its determination to 'make sure our roads are ready and that road signs, traffic lights and road markings are compatible with connected and automated vehicles'.
Changes are also being made to road laws and regulations to accommodate the trialling of automated cars and their subsequent general use.
National guidelines were put in place on May 31, 2017. The intention of the national regulations is to support nationally consistent conditions for automated vehicle trials in Australia; provide certainty and clarity to industry regarding expectations when trialling in Australia; help road transport agencies manage trials in their own state or territory as well as across state borders; establish minimum standards of safety; help assure the public that roads are being used safely and help raise awareness and acceptance of automated vehicles in the community.
Most states have also set up state-based modifications to road laws and regulations to cover some of the challenges posed by automated vehicles.
On November 14, 2017, a Bill was introduced into the Victorian State Parliament titled 'Road Safety Amendment (Automated Vehicles) Bill 2017'. The Bill covered provisions including the designation of an automated vehicles, defining the circumstances under which a person can be considered in charge of such a vehicle, the responsibilities of the driver or person in charge of an automated vehicle, and the impoundment, immobilisations and forfeiture of such vehicles.
Under the proposed changes, drivers will no longer have to touch the wheel of a car during testing and unmanned autonomous vehicles will also be allowed on Victorian roads as research continues. The new laws will give VicRoads oversight of all trials and will establish responsibility in the event of accidents.
The proposed legislation goes a step further than automated vehicle laws already introduced in South Australia and New South Wales as it will allow fully unmanned autonomous cars to appear on Victorian roads.
4. Automated vehicles will reduce many costs associated with owning a vehicle as well as reducing transport costs
It has been argued that though the vehicles themselves will be initially more expensive, over time they will reduce costs.
On June 22, 2017, Tribune News Services published an opinion piece claiming, ' Of all the benefits of automated vehicles, none will be more welcomed by consumers than those that impact the pocketbook. With this technology, the costs of medical bills, lost work time and vehicle repair will diminish. Insurance costs should also drop. Smoother flowing traffic will reduce fuel costs, and car sharing - which reduces overall vehicle costs - is expected to become more commonplace.'
The probability of lower insurance premiums has been stressed by many commentators. An article published in forbes.com on August 18, 2015, stated, '[S]elf-driving cars could save consumers an average $1,000 per year, given their near perfect safety record. If self-driving cars really do live up to the hype and eliminate collision-related crashes, then drivers will only have to pay for insurance for things like break-ins and acts of god.'
In addition to the savings that could come to individual drivers, it has been suggested that automatic vehicles would create large saving for transport fleet owners whose vehicles typically transport goods over long distances.
A Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering student, Scott Maskal, has noted, 'Even though self-driving cars might be expensive when they become available for consumers, the costs would be less for a firm. In the case of truck deliveries of goods, an automated vehicle would take the job of that truck driver. Thus, firms would save more money by not paying wages to delivery drivers.'
Analysts have further predicted that share-drive fleets such as Uber and taxi services generally will become cheaper if driverless vehicles are generally adopted. Savings are expected to come to fleet owners from not having to pay drivers and from greater utilisation of vehicles which are expected to be on road virtually all the time. It is anticipated that a portion of these saving will be passed on to consumers.
5. Automated vehicles will improve traffic flow and fuel efficiency
It has been argued that automated vehicles will greatly enhance the experience of driving, improving traffic flow and increasing fuel efficiency.
Erik Coelingh, Volvo's Senior Technical Leader for Safety and Driver Support Technologies, has stated, ' There's potential in efficiency, efficiency in terms of better traffic flow, but also less fuel consumption.'
The reduced incidence of accidents caused by human error are expected to result in less traffic congestion. It is also expected that an increase in self-driving taxis will decrease the total number of cars on the road resulting in a further lessening of congestion. While gasoline-fuelled cars still remain the norm, because driverless vehicles are designed to optimise efficiency in acceleration and braking, it is anticipated they will also help improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
One of the principal causes of traffic jams on roads is that human drivers have difficulty maintaining a constant speed. The ripple effect of constant small accelerations and decelerations frequently results in a traffic jam where there is no physical blockage on the road to account for it. Tests have demonstrated that even a small number of automated vehicles in a built-up area able to maintain a constant speed prevents these ripples or waves from forming.
According to researchers from across the United States, as little as 5% of traffic being made up of automated vehicles could help eliminate 'stop and go driving' which can cause congestion. Researchers at the University of Illinois found that with a driverless vehicle there to control the pace, the traffic flow of all the cars smoothed out.
Stop-start driving is a major cause of inefficient fuel use; therefore, it has been estimated that the capacity of automated cars to maintain a constant speed irrespective of traffic density will reduce fuel consumption.
The capacity of automated vehicles to maintain a constant speed also means they are able to move in groups, referred to as 'platoons'. Reduced wind resistance per vehicle created by such formations results in lower fuel consumption.
A study released by the United States Energy Information Administration in April, 2017, estimated that by 2050, connected autonomous vehicles could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 44 percent for passenger vehicles and 18 percent for trucks. The study noted, 'In one representative platooning test, two semi-trucks were platooned at a constant 64 mph at a 36-foot following distance. This configuration resulted in an average fuel consumption saving of 4.5% for the lead truck and 10% for the following truck.'