Vehicles that want to share the driving
ENORMOUS AMOUNTS of money are now being expended on development of the driverless car. For some, this will be a great relief, but for those, like me, who actively enjoy driving, it will be anathema. Can self-drive features be beneficial? Not, it seems, when taken to extremes as has been shown in America, where several accidents have occurred, some fatal, where drivers were not in control and were even sitting in the back seat.
Tesla, one of the pioneers of selfdriving features, advises that the driver must always be alert and ready to resume command if the self-drive control is malfunctioning or if an emergency situation occurs. But a Tesla owner whom I interviewed said that the self-drive control in his car had made his driving safer. He no longer has to keep looking down at his speedometer to make sure he is not exceeding the limit. He simply sets the cruise control at whatever he feels is right for the conditions — and, of course, the limits — and knows that his car will automatically keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
There are other, similar small changes in the ‘driverless’ direction, which many drivers will appreciate.
Emergency braking is now featured on many cars, which identify that a crash stop is needed and apply the brakes really hard.
The concept was developed after it was established that many drivers needing to stop in an emergency don’t press the brake pedal hard enough.
Many cars now have a self-parking feature which can be switched on, looking for a suitable space between parked cars. When a gap of the right size is identified the system indicates when it has driven far enough forward to be able to reverse into the slot. Then the driver can select reverse, and watch the wheel twiddling left and right as the car gently backs into the parking space to finish up just the right distance from the kerb. It sounds like magic, but is available on many cars and I demonstrated it long ago on a Ford Mondeo.
Perhaps the time might come when you can stop at the shopping centre and say to the car: “Right, now go off and park yourself, and come back for me when I call you on my mobile.” That would indeed be the day!