On March 18, 2018, a pedestrian was walking her bike across the street and was struck and killed by an Uber automated vehicle. This incident has brought forth many discussions regarding self-driving cars.
Evolving Technologies
Self-driving vehicles promise to provide a future of increased safety, convenience, and decreased accidents. The Department of Transportation points out that technology has continued to evolve to produce features that are already available that are associated with automated vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that current technologies "helps drivers avoid drifting into adjacent lanes or making unsafe lane changes, or that warns drivers of other vehicles behind them when they are backing up, or that brakes automatically if a vehicle ahead of them stops or slows suddenly." Vehicles are not yet fully automated, but technology continues to improve each day.
Uber is just one of the companies experimenting with self-driving cars. Before the accident occurred, Uber experienced some difficulties with their test vehicles. Human intervention was frequently needed because the cars had trouble maneuvering through construction zones and aside of tall trucks. Uber was behind on their automated technology compared to their competitors, however, the company felt the pressure to have self-driving cars by the end of the year. A New York Times article, "Uber's Self-Driving Cars Were Struggling Before Arizona Crash," reports that Waymo, Google's self-driving car, could go about 5,600 miles before the driver needed to take the wheel to steer out of trouble. It was noted that Uber cars had trouble reaching 13 miles without any intervention. Uber had two people testing the cars; one to intervene if there was trouble, and the other that recorded all data in the system. However, Uber decided to merge the two jobs so that only one individual had to "operate" the vehicle. Many of the employees were "worried that going solo would make it harder to remain alert during hours of monotonous driving." Since there was discomfort on the employees' part, it took longer for the employees to be trained. Waymo also utilizes one operator, however, it requires to operators whenever "it is adding new systems or moving to a new location." The difference in the company's technology and conduct proved to be beneficial. The question remains; Why did Uber allow testing when their technology was not up to par?
Regulations and Technology
Arizona became a haven for driver-less cars because few restrictions and regulations were enforced. The New York Times article, "Where Self-Driving Cars Go to Learn," states that "Arizona deliberately cultivated a rules-free environment for driver-less cars, unlike dozens of other states that have enacted autonomous vehicle regulations over safety, taxes and insurance." In response, many tech companies went to Arizona to test out their cars.
Regulations have been unable to keep up with the fast pace of technological advancements. Many auto safety regulations are out of date and do not apply to automated vehicles, prohibiting the improvement of these cars. The Wired article, "Outdated Auto Safety Regulations Threaten The Self-Driving Revolution," states that "Bipartisan bills - The Self Drive Act (Safety Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research in Vehicle Evolution) passed by the House, and the AV Start Act (American Vision for Safer Transportation Through Advancement of Revolutionary Technologies) pending in the Senate - both recognize that the federal government should continually update its automated vehicle definitions to reflect the industry's best available technical knowledge." Updates to auto regulations need to be made for their to be any future for automated cars. Search Congress.gov to find the full-text of these acts.
The Self Drive Act is a bill that was passed by the House of Representatives to "ensure the safe and innovative development, testing, and deployment of self-driving cars." The Energy and Commerce Committee points out that this bill will work to "advance safety by prioritizing the protection of consumers; reaffirm the role and responsibilities of federal and state governments; update the federal motor vehicle safety standards to account for advances in technology and the evolution of highly automated vehicles; and maximize opportunities for research and development here in the U.S. to create jobs and grow economic opportunities so that America can remain a global leader in this industry."
Science 360
Computer scientist Sebastian Thrun and his team of software engineers are creating a fleet of self-driving cars at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, Science of Innovation: Self-Driving Cars.
Science 360 is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, which works "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense."
For more information...
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Provides an archived webcast that explains the hearing regarding automated vehicles. "The hearing will explore advancements in autonomous vehicle technology and its anticipated benefits for Americans. Witnesses have been asked to testify on their continued efforts to develop automated vehicles, their views on the appropriate role of government in promoting innovation including removing unnecessary hurdles, and their strategy to grow consumer adoption of this new technology."
U.S. Department of Commerce and Economics and Statistics Administration
This report analyzes how automated vehicles will impact the economy and job opportunities.
MDriverless Cars, The Evolution of the Revolution
From Montana State University's College of Engineering, describes the importance of automated vehicles, the science behind them, and the progress made to making driver-less cars a reality.
~by Emily Hancz
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