Self-driving vehicles have been hailed as the future of transportation. The UK government has even announced plans to introduce autonomous vehicles on the roads by 2025. However, a recent report from the Transport Select Committee has highlighted the potential risks and dangers associated with self-driving vehicles.
What is a self-driving vehicle?
A self-driving vehicle is a vehicle that can travel for all or most of a journey without human intervention. It uses a range of technologies to control manual inputs such as acceleration, braking, and turning. These technologies include Lidar, radar, mapping, and communication systems.
Benefits of self-driving vehicles
The government claims that self-driving vehicles will lead to safer and less congested roads, better transport links in rural areas, improved access to transportation for people with mobility issues, and cheaper and more reliable public transport.
Are self-driving vehicles safe?
The government argues that self-driving vehicles could significantly improve safety on the roads by reducing human error. A study by the Institute for Engineering and Technology suggests that for every 10,000 errors made by human drivers, a self-driving vehicle would make just one.