Reader's Response Draft #2: Driverless Vehicles
The article, “Driverless Vehicles: A Vision for Singapore’s Transport” from the Ministry of Transport (MOT) website (2018) states the use of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology will potentially transform the lives of Singaporeans and Singapore herself. AV will improve manpower productivity and “overcome manpower constraints” with the decreasing numbers of drivers to vehicles ratio. MIT’s 2011 study (as cited in MOT, 2018) mentions that car-sharing will decrease the number of vehicles on the road, hence reducing carbon footprint. In 2015, a test run on driverless vehicles had been conducted, with the course comprising of “light and heavy traffic routes, under real traffic conditions”. Thus, providing transportation solutions to increase the efficiency of road usage. Furthermore, the Committee on Autonomous Road Transport (CARTS) had been set up to direct and explore the prospects of AV in the future. In order to create a Smart Nation, MOT will work closely with CARTS towards making this vision into a reality.
Although there is a bright future for driverless vehicles, there are still safety concerns with regards to this growing technology that could have been mentioned: dependency on humans, unforeseen weather conditions and circumstances.
Firstly, in this growing phase of AV technology, driverless vehicles are not capable of being fully independent as they still require human input. In the article, “Video released of Uber self-driving crash that killed woman in Arizona” from The Guardian (2018), it comments that “the industry is entering a dangerous phase while the cars are not yet fully autonomous, but human operators are not fully engaged.” Driverless vehicles all have GPS, sensors and a navigation system. The vehicle’s emergency brakes were reportedly disabled and hence even though the sensors were able to detect the victim, it was unable to break in time. In my opinion, MOT should have mentioned the fact that the algorithm of driverless vehicles is prone to human errors. These human errors if not corrected will result in dire consequences. This point can be further supported in the article “Uber Self-Driving Car Crash: What Really Happened” from Forbes (2018).
Secondly, unpredictable weather conditions will affect the sensors of driverless vehicles and hence doubting the safety of the vehicle. In the article, “Tesla death smash probe: Neither driver nor autopilot saw the truck”, it states that the car’s sensors failed to distinguish the white trailer against the brightly lit background, resulting in the car driving at full speed under the trailer. MOT will be required to conduct an extensive research on data of both local climate and adverse weather conditions. This is so as to ensure the safety of both pedestrians and drivers. This point can be further supported in the article “Winter, Rain and Fog: Is Autonomous Technology ready for harsh weather?” from the Traffic Safety Store (2018).
Lastly, even though driverless vehicles are programmed to follow traffic rules, human drivers, on the other hand, are not. Therefore, driverless vehicles may not be programmed to handle unpredictable situations from human drivers and even pedestrians. The article “Five Flaws Holding Driverless Vehicles Back” from Electronic Component News (2017) states that “self-driving vehicles are only prepared for what’s supposed to happen. People jaywalking or making unprecedented crossings and turns can all affect an autonomous vehicle’s programming.”. These external factors should be considered by MOT when implementing driverless vehicles in Singapore.
In conclusion, while the future of AV technology is bright, there are still safety concerns that need to be addressed by MOT. Driverless vehicles can provide efficiency for both the nation and its people, however, if research and extensive tests are not done properly, it will endanger the lives of pedestrians and drivers.
References:
Berboucha, M. (2018). Uber Self-Driving Car Crash: What Really Happened. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/meriameberboucha/2018/05/28/uber-self-driving-car-crash-what-really-happened/#1cbf6084dc41
Corfield, G. (2017). Tesla death smash probe: Neither driver nor autopilot saw the truck. Retrieved from https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/20/tesla_death_crash_accident_report_ntsb/
Giarratana, C. (2018). Winter, Rain, And Fog (Oh My!): Is Autonomous Technology Ready For Harsh Weather?. Retrieved from https://www.trafficsafetystore.com/blog/winter-rain-and-fog-oh-my-is-autonomous-technology-ready-for-harsh-weather/
Levin, S. (2018). Video released of Uber self-driving crash that killed woman in Arizona. Retrieved from
Luciano, M. (2017). Five Flaws Holding Driverless Vehicles Back. Retrieved from https://www.ecnmag.com/blog/2017/09/five-flaws-holding-driverless-cars-back
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