There is no doubt automated vehicle technology will have a hugely beneficial impact on road safety.
Experts believe that autonomous emergency braking (AEB) alone has the potential to save 1,100 lives and reduce UK casualties by more than 120,000 over the next 10 years.
And with multiple studies finding in excess of 90% of road incidents are caused by human error, increasing automation will provide a smooth path to significantly reduced casualties. Won’t it?
Eventually, yes, as driverless cars will seamlessly slot in and out of traffic safely until they reach their destination, but there is a long way to go before then.
“Some people say that if we have automation we can get rid of 90% of the accidents, but I don’t believe that,” says Christoph Lauterwasser, managing director of Allianz Centre for Technology.
“Especially in the beginning when we will have mixed traffic we will see accidents and it is very important we learn from those accidents.”
His view is supported by a report from the International Transport Forum earlier this year which says claims self-driving cars could avoid 90% of road deaths by eliminating human errors is an “untested and uncertain hypothesis”.
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