Self Driving Cars Of The Future

Cars that drive themselves are right around the corner, and more than just a cartoon concept. Expert engineers at Volvo believe it could happen within ten years. They are currently testing a system called "platooning" in Sweden. A trained driving professional operates a lead vehicle which is followed by 8-10 detached cars. The cars in the train would steer and operate automatically, freeing up drivers to do other things during their commute. The technology utilizes current capabilities like cruise control, but vehicle-to-vehicle communication still needs to be perfected before platooning can become a reality.

The goals with this new technology are to save fuel, improve traffic congestion and minimize crashes, but it also raises many issues. In theory, the removal of human error and driver distraction will reduce car accidents. However, the problem of mechanical vehicle failure would still be an issue. If the vehicles fail to properly communicate with one another, this could cause dangerous conditions. What happens if there are mechanical problems with the lead car which is crucial to the functioning of the train? This could possibly then affect every car in the train. The lead car would be specially equipped with safety features, including a monitoring system to ensure driver alertness. However, no system is fool-proof. What are the ramifications if the lead vehicle gets into an accident? Does this automatically draw the eight or ten cars into the train into the collision as well? Not only could this dramatically increase the amount of vehicles involved in any one accident, it would also exponentially increase the danger to any single vehicles the train encounters.

One advantage is that commuters would be able to utilize their time more productively or even to just spend the time relaxing instead. That seems to be the goal of most new technology - to make our lives easier. But how often does that work out? Don't we usually just try to cram more into less time because we can? And do we really need more drivers who are accustomed to doing other things while driving? Automobile accidents are already one of the leading causes of deaths in the United States with driver distraction a leading factor. One of the problems is that vehicles cannot platoon all the time. Drivers would still have to drive individually at times when they are not able to utilize a train. If they are accustomed to relaxing or doing other things when platooning, will this exacerbate bad habits during times when they are individually driving? Will they become accustomed to not paying attention while in the driver's seat and create more non-platooning accidents?

There will also potentially be liability issues for the lead driver. Will that person have special car insurance or be held liable for any accidents or injuries? Will participants have to electronically sign waivers before joining a train?

There is still much work to be done on this system. But will it really solve more problems than it would create? That remains to be seen.