THE ERRATIC, irate, or simply stupid all share our roads, charging about in a ton of metal. It’s the human behind the steering wheel who is the weakest link in the motoring world. So why not hand the wheel over to technology? It won’t get tired or distracted, it ignores backseat drivers and screaming children, and it doesn’t overreact to silly mistakes by others.
In the US, Google’s self-driven test cars – modified Toyota Priuses – are taking to the public roads of Nevada. Google, it seems, is extending its grasp on our lives. In the near future you’ll be sipping coffee and reading The Irish Times epaper from the comfort of the driver’s seat, all the while zipping along at 120km/h.
It might be a regular sci-fi prop but the self-driving car is closer to reality than many realise. Car firms have been working on viable prototypes since the 1980s. The defence industry has also played its part, eager to call upon driverless vehicles to resupply frontline troops.
Family cars today feature reversing sensors and cruise control. Satellite navigation guides us from door to door. Lane-keeping systems alert you if you stray off course. More advanced versions automatically park the car, while adaptive cruise control systems apply the brakes to maintain your distance to the car in front. Modern cars combine radar, laser, and video technology to assess whether a crash is imminent. Some new cars boast emergency stop technology that will completely avoid collisions up to speeds of 50km/h, all without the drivers input. Moving from this to full automation is only a matter of time.
So is a new age of motoring about to emerge? No more taxi trips from the pub, no more driving tests, no more crashes, car chases or bad driving. In reality, it’s unlikely the future will be so clear cut. Several major hurdles remain, not least the cornucopia of legislation that will have to be put in place. If and when things go wrong, how is culpability divided between the owner and the car maker? How much control remains with the motorist? Can you blame your car for a traffic offence?
Driverless cars may also mean that there’s no escape from Big Brother’s gaze. If a motorist takes back control and commits a transgression, surely the car can send the details directly to the authorities, who automatically issue a ticket and penalty points. Finally where’s the fun in driving if everyone’s a passenger?
When it comes to the future of motoring, technology can be a two-way street.