This is a guest post from Briana Hilton
68% of Americans say they’re afraid of self-driving cars, according to a poll by AAA, which demonstrates a ‘huge jump’ from 2022, when only 55% of Americans said they’re afraid of the nascent technology. While autonomous driving features can be promising when it comes to safety, exploring the potential downsides of the technology is essential in gaining a rounded perspective on the matter. From the role that human nature plays in safety, to the future of employment regarding professional drivers, to changing laws around this technology, here are just a few considerations worth keeping in mind.
Accounting for the human element
The argument as to whether autonomous cars are safer than traditionally driven vehicles can easily go both ways. While such technology has the potential to cut down on instances regarding human error out on the road (such as those that involve distracted driving), it cannot prevent an intoxicated driver from getting behind the wheel. In fact, operating a ‘self-driving’ car while intoxicated is a crime and can result in getting a DUI — and, if you’re in Tennessee, the “Ethan’s, Hailey’s, and Bentley’s Law,” may apply. Having taken effect as of January 1st of 2023, Tennessee HB1834 requires that anyone convicted of vehicular homicide or aggravated vehicular homicide in the state will be required to pay child support until the victim’s children are 18 years old.
While technology can be great when it comes to features like lane keep assist, the prospects of having fully driverless vehicles one day can be daunting due to the missing human element behind the wheel, which can be an advantage when it comes to using common sense when on the road. When looking at the potential downsides of autonomous vehicles (AVs), an article from The Gradient goes into depth regarding the issue, pointing out the fact that “no one knows how to build commonsense reasoning into cars, or into computers in general,” further going on to note that “Machine learning can only help to the extent that manufacturers anticipate every situation and provide training examples of every possible situation.”
Many of the high-tech vehicles on the market today make use of driver assistance capabilities, from lane keep assist to automatic acceleration and braking technology. On the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) scale of six automated driving levels, many of those out on the market today fall into a Level 2, which means that the driver must constantly monitor the road and be ready to take over instantly. “An issue for these Level 2 vehicles is that marketing terms like “full self-driving” may be convincing drivers to act dangerously, as in the April 2021 Tesla crash with no one in the driver’s seat,” notes The Gradient.
A deeper dive into safety
Autonomous cars can be a major advantage in reducing road accidents, though it’s worth noting that there are concerns with the technology in regard to safety. For starters, an accident involving Tesla’s autopilot technology occurs roughly once a day, according to company data, with the Scripps News article pointing out that some drivers ignore Tesla’s instructions to stay alert with hands on the wheel. “The truth is there is no such thing as full self-driving — they’ve been selling it as autopilot from day one,” said founder of Car Coach, Lauren Fix.
A CBS News article highlights innovations among the newest autonomous vehicles, one of which is the 2022 Honda Civic. According to the post, one of the newest settings on the standard-issue Honda Civic is that it can “drive itself down the road itself, then smoothly break behind a stopped car.” While it’s noted that Honda told CBS News that the system isn’t intended (or capable of) detecting the end of a road, it’s not marketed or considered to be hands-free technology, either, and it’s the driver’s responsibility to maintain control at all times, reports CBS News’ Brook Silva-Braga. Generally speaking, however, it’s worth noting that there can be drawbacks in such technology, especially when it comes to how drivers perceive it when it works well. Researcher Kelly Funkhauser, who tests self-driving technology for Consumer Reports, worries that such systems work so well that many won’t be ready when an exception arises. “Monitoring a system that’s performing well is extremely boring but the problem is the features aren’t quite up to speed yet in their capabilities,” Funkhauser said.
Addressing the potential of job loss
According to an August 2017 report from the Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration, some 15.5 million workers in the U.S. worked in jobs related to driving in 2015. While it’s noted that only 3.8 million of those workers operate motor vehicles such as a truck or taxi, truck drivers are “more vulnerable to automation because they drive mainly on highways, and that type of navigation is easier to automate than negotiating city streets.” The CNBC post goes on to note that the remaining 11.7 million (who work driving in positions such as firefighters, mail carriers, and EMTs) are “likely to benefit” from new technology. In terms of job loss, a May 2017 report from Goldman Sachs estimates that autonomous cars could eliminate 300,000 driving jobs a year.
Regarding the trucking industry, a totally autonomous truck is ‘far out in the future,’ with the present focus on driver-assisted technology, according to Ryan Rogers, founder of TextLocate. The trucknews.com article goes on to note that while many believe that the technology will take away jobs, it can serve as a benefit by allowing the technology to aid with less-desirable jobs, thus allowing for drivers to have more freedom when it comes to spending more time with family — a long time issue that many truckers have dealt with. Furthermore, advancements in technology can also help to address the recent shortage in the trucking industry, too, by helping reduce the number of drivers needed while improving efficiency.
In 2021, the industry reported a shortage of 80,000 drivers via the American Trucking Associations (ATA). While reasons why heavily cited the pandemic, it’s also an exacerbating factor due to other challenges that drivers have faced for years. Steve Viscelli, a former trucker turned economist and writer who now lectures at the University of Pennsylvania says “There is no shortage of truck drivers. These are just really bad jobs.” Viscelli goes on to elaborate, noting that 50 years ago, driving a truck for a living was a ‘lucrative, middle class profession,’ in which the Teamsters union was able to ensure favorable conditions. However, the 1970s and 80s saw deregulation and a shift towards big-box retailers, and economists became dedicated to reducing costs when it came to the supply chain. An article from The Conversation further highlights the realities that plague truckers in the modern times, pointing out that drivers work 50% more hours than typical workers and regularly violate U.S. regulations limiting commercial driver work hours for safety reasons, according to a 2010 survey by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Understanding changing laws and regulations
When it comes to the regulations surrounding autonomous vehicles, an article from the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan notes that regulation will “directly impact the adoption of AVs,” going on to explain that there are no national standards or guidelines in place, allowing states to determine their own. As of February of 2020, it’s noted that 29 states and D.C. “have enacted legislation regarding the definition of AVs, their usage, and liability, among other topics.” The University of Michigan post further goes on to highlight the importance of product liability laws, which need to assign liability properly when AV crashes do occur, though it’s pointed out that liability will depend on multiple factors (such as whether the vehicle was being operated properly).
NJ A203 requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, to establish a one-year “New Jersey Fully Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Program.” Set to commence 90 days after the bill’s effective date, A203 aims to allow autonomous vehicle testers to operate fully autonomous vehicles on the state’s highways. According to the bill summary, the commission is to enter into a written agreement with each autonomous vehicle tester participating in the pilot program, which involves a few elements — such as specifying the locations and routes where the autonomous vehicles may operate, prohibit the operation of such vehicles outside of the locations and routes (except in the case of an emergency), identify each fully autonomous vehicle that will be operated by the identification number, make, year, and model of the vehicle, and specify the hours during which such vehicles may be operated — to briefly highlight just a few key points.
A 2022 Techcrunch post explains that autonomous vehicles and vehicles with automated driving functions now have their own set of motor vehicle safety standards, which acts to provide clarity on how passenger safety should be defined in vehicles “that are designed without things like driver’s seats and steering wheels.” The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the ‘first-of-its-kind’ rule which changes terminology in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, “to reflect the spatial layout of automated vehicles, builds on the agency’s previous efforts to ensure public safety as automation evolves.”
Regarding trucks, there is a California bill that would require human drivers inside those that are robotic. “The idea of having very large, potentially destructive and heavy vehicles moving very rapidly on our streets without a driver behind the wheel at this point seems like it’s, like the technology may not be ready,” said Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Laura Friedman. While the Los Angeles-area Democrat said she supports technology that could lower the fatal risks of driving while tired, distracted, or drunk, nevertheless said that she has not been persuaded that safeguards are in place when it comes to public safety concerns, the Bloomberg Law article explained.
Many express concern when it comes to implementing autonomous vehicles, whether it’s the average car or a commercial truck. While such technology presents great intentions in improving safety for those on the road, however, it’s imperative to realize the potential drawbacks, too — particularly when it comes to the fact that advancements (both technological and regulatory) are still needed.
Cover Photo by Avinash Patel: