How safe are we?

1886. The dawn of the car. German inventor Carl Benz patented his 'Benz Patent-Motorwagen.' Becoming widely available in the very early 20th century period. Quick to jump onto this early period of Earth's emerging technology, 1908 heralded the Model T, an American car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company raised the pitch in this area.

And that is it as far as I am going to delve into the history of cars here. I do not profess to know everything there is to know about cars other than this - they get you from A to B (and hopefully back again. Anything past that, then I know who to call, the car repairman, or, the roadside rescue team...

Technology has been - the Key that Opens the Door

I was a nurse by profession so, all I have been around are people needing help and technological advancements, which have provided unfailingly swift access where and when I have needed it. Okay yes, the advances with car technologies have definitely aided me; made it easy to get to work, and given me comfort, warmth, and ease of driving when driving home after a hard and mentally strained day of 12 hours. So yes, I more than appreciate them for giving me the ease & freedom that they do today.

Mild Hybrids & Full (Strong) Hybrids

Mild Hybrids are basically cars that continue to have an internal combustion engine but, also have an electronic control enabling control to switch off this engine, for example, when coasting, braking, or stopped, but allowing the engine to be restarted quickly. On the other hand, Full Hybrid cars can run only on either a combustion engine, purely on an electric motor or a combination of both.

Electric

These vehicles are solely powered and run by an electrically charged battery source. And in short, these cars come as a self-charging or plug-in type vehicle. The self-charging type recharges during active travel time whereas, the plug-in type requires literally 'plugging in' to an electrical power outlet - typically attached to outside of your home through a weatherproof outside plug connector - many are also now in place in various sites around the world now, with more being planned for implementation.

Autonomous Vehicles (the 5 levels of autonomy in computerized driving control)

China, so far, has the ability to become the world's largest market for autonomous vehicles. These levels are:

Level 0: most cars on the roads across the world today have this basic application (well basic by computer standards) whereby built-in computer architecture issues warnings, in the forms of visual and/or auditory alerts across the dashboard, and may momentarily intervene but has no sustained vehicle control. The driver STILL remains in full control of the car at all times through this. (No automation.)

Level 1: At this level both the driver and the in-built computer share control together in driving. (Driver assistance.)

Level 2: The automation of the vehicle regarding Acceleration, Braking, and Steering is fully controlled by the in-built computer. (Partial automation.)

Level 3: This bit becomes scary - the driver can watch maybe a film, or listen intently to some music because the car controls all spatial awareness that drivers used to have to prove efficient with, during their initial interactive visual driving test & practical driving test before getting their licence to drive alone. Although whilst driving in regards to the needs of areas where satellites cannot successfully map the driving areas; in unmapped (no satellite coverage - 'geofenced') the driver must resume full driving. (Conditional automation.)

Level 4: Absolutely NO level of intervention is needed by the driver. But once again, consideration & interaction with the driver is still required during geofenced areas. (High automation.)

And lastly:

Level 5: The best example here would be a car that COMPLETELY drives itself without any driver. (Full automation.)

FEAR ITSELF

The main point to focus on within the basic concept of this topic is, the fear itself of having a car that you do not need to drive anymore!

Like the majority of licensed driving throughout Britain alone. In September 2014, there was currently 45.5 million active fully licensed driving record sheld by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the United Kingdom by itself gained through the freedom of information act (FOI) (DVLA 30.09.2021.)

Every driver well knows that, once they have obtained their full license, they have achieved freedom for themselves, no longer requiring a licensed driver to sit with them whilst they are driving. But, they can now relate to the fear that first getting into a car, and starting the engine, causes too many of us - I feel very much for learner drivers today, having to go through this horrendous level of untapped emotion in controlling something that they have never done before. Throughout the driving practice lessons, you are taught to -

-- You the driver are in full control of your car

-- Wear your seatbelt

-- Always check your mirrors

-- Watch out for traffic around you

-- Control your speed and always be aware of it

-- Steering control

-- Clutch control

... and the list just goes on...

This raises that question, are you ready to trust computers to (as in autonomous level 5 control) take over ALL the driving needed now to get you from A to B, and back again SAFELY?

I imagine that this will be a hotly debated subject within every driver's minds for a very long time to come, simply because of the long tradition for the need to understand fear itself with the potential destructive power that a poorly driven car is capable of, when not supervised or controlled well by the driver.

Perhaps this will not be the case within the near future, as new learner drivers undergo training adapted to this new concept of autonomous driving control - I really do not know - let us see what the future indeed holds for us all?

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