technology.R3

How advanced is the technology

dec 2023 

https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/self-driving-cars-101 source is useful as the research was provided by the nonprofit science advocacy which was created 1969 and was formed by MIT students in USA. Its Role is to critically examine the government policy in areas of science and technology and in particular how tech can be used to solve environmental and social matters. It is hyperlinked to websites and policies and it has a published date.

Published Jan 26, 2017 Updated Feb 21, 2018

Self-driving cars never need a human driver to take the wheel to drive them safely. They use sensors and software to operate and drive the vehicle, and are also referred to as autonomous vehicles.

Self-driving technology is becoming more prevalent and has the potential to drastically change our transportation system. 

Autonomy in layers

On a scale from 0 to 5, different vehicles may perform at varying levels of self-driving.

level 0: everything is controlled by humans.

Level 1 allows the automobile to regulate either the automatic braking or the cruise control just once at a time.

Level 2: Provides at least two simultaneous automated operations, such as acceleration and steering, but requires human participation to work safely.

level 3: The vehicle can do all safety-critical tasks in some circumstances, but the driver must take control.

Level 4: In some driving situations, the vehicle is totally autonomous, but not always.

Level 5: In all circumstances, the vehicle is fully autonomous.

Self-driving vehicles operate by compiling an internal map of their environment using a variety of sensors, including radar.

The vehicle's "actuators," which manage acceleration, braking, and steering, are then given instructions by software, which analyses the inputs, maps a route, and executes the instructions. 

Predictive modelling, object discrimination, hard-coded rules, and obstacle avoidance algorithms all aid the programme in adhering to traffic regulations and avoiding obstructions.

If the system encounters uncertainty, partially autonomous vehicles may need a human driver to step in and take control.

The ability of self-driving cars to communicate with other vehicles and/or infrastructure, such as modern traffic signals, can also be determined by whether or not they are "connected" to other vehicles and/or infrastructure.

Impacts

Self-driving car prices and advantages are still mostly speculative. To evaluate how they will affect drivers, the economy, equality, the environment, and public health, further information is required.

The first priority is safety. Self-driving cars may help lower the number of fatal car accidents each year since they are less likely to cause mistakes than people are, but cybersecurity is still a major issue.

Another important factor is equity. Self-driving technology may make it possible for people who are unable to drive themselves, including the elderly or crippled, to get around. However, the widespread use of autonomous vehicles could also have a negative impact on millions of people who work as drivers and the funding for public transport.

Environmental effects are a key source of uncertainty and cause for great worry. Self-driving vehicles that are easy, accessible, and inexpensive might increase the amount of kilometres travelled annually. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions from transportation might significantly increase if those cars run on petrol. However, transport emissions could decrease if the vehicles are electrified and connected to a clean electricity grid. 

Emissions may decrease even lower if electrified self-driving cars make it possible for more people to travel together.  

The Union of Concerned Scientists is an organisation that works on transportation-related policy issues and promotes fair, low-pollution infrastructure, fuels, and automobiles. They published a policy brief in February 2017 that analyses the drawbacks and advantages of self-driving technology and that offers seven guiding principles for decision-makers, businesses, and other stakeholders.

From this piece of research i have learned;

that self driving technology is still in development as safety is a primary concern before they even begin producing these EVs to sell to the public. The threat however is that people who couldn't drive before maybe due to health issues can now travel freely, this however may cause a negative impact of millions of employed drivers, in addition to this people who cant drive rely heavily on public transport therefore if all cars were to be autonomised then the funding for public transport will be reduced because it will have less if any users. 

This leads me to want to research how the government are incentivising the switch to EV cars to persuade people against buying another new ICE car, as it will negatively effect Government funding hugely, however they must meet the environmental deadline set by themselves in order to show the UK are trying to fight against climate change.