Vehicle technology is a rapidly evolving industry. Electric cars, self-driving cars, and auto emergency braking features are quickly growing in popularity and becoming standard. The combination of AI technology with live GPS ability has some cars completely driverless.
While this might be an exciting time in technology, it could also have some people hesitant. After all, technology fails, and driving requires skills that aren’t programable: like judgment and reaction. What are the consequences when an intelligent car makes a poor execution?
Increased risk of collision
There are five different levels of autonomous driving vehicles. Some cars have sensors that observe road conditions and adjust driving, while a level five requires no human driver at all. Features such as automatic emergency braking (AEB) are becoming standard on most new vehicles.
While this might sound like the future of driving has safety in mind, there are inherent risks. Technology has a way of breaking down at an inopportune time, and cars equipped with advanced sensors could:
- Become impaired from dirt, bugs, or other road debris
- Misinterpret driving conditions and make poor judgments
- Be affected by the glare of the sun
- Spontaneously quit working.
While advanced features advertise increased driver safety, the reality is that we aren’t quite there yet. Actually, self-driving cars have over twice the accident rate of human-driven vehicles.
How to stay safe while driving smart
If you own an advanced technology car, there are some practical ways to maintain safety features. Know where your vehicle sensors are and keep those areas clean. Don’t rely too heavily on your auto-pilot capabilities. If your sensors fail, you’re still responsible for maintaining control of the vehicle, so be alert. If you’ve been involved in an accident with a fully autonomous vehicle, the fault may need to be heard on a case-by-case basis.