Will Autonomous Cars Spell the end for the Taxi Industry
Earlier this year, the Law Commission for England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission proposed the creation of legislation to regulate vehicles that are capable of safely driving themselves.
Automated Lanke Keeping Systems (ALKS) installed on cars will be the first commercially available technology for UK drivers. With the advent of features like ALKS, the government needs to be sure legislation is ready.
They have already proposed the below changes to the Highway Code:
“Automated vehicles can perform all the tasks involved in driving, in at least some situations. They differ from vehicles fitted with assisted driving features (like cruise control and lane-keeping assistance), which carry out some tasks, but where the driver is still responsible for driving. If you are driving a vehicle with assisted driving features, you MUST stay in control of the vehicle.”
“Automated vehicles are vehicles that are listed by the Secretary of State for Transport. While an automated vehicle is driving itself, you are not responsible for how it drives, and you do not need to pay attention to the road. But you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions about when it is appropriate to engage the self-driving function.”
“If the vehicle is designed to require you to resume driving after being prompted to, while the vehicle is driving itself, you MUST remain in a position to be able to take control. For example, you should not move out of the driving seat. You should not be so distracted that you cannot take back control when prompted by the vehicle.”
With all the changes coming to legislation, it could be easy to think autonomous vehicles are right around the corner.
There has been growing hype around ‘driverless’ or autonomous cars. But despite small advances in their viability, the widespread adoption of fully autonomous vehicles still seems a long way off.
Are they really self-driving?
According to the Society of Automotive Engineers, there are 6 different levels of vehicle autonomy; Levels 0 through 5.
Image Credit: SAE International
As you can see from the table, Level 0 describes modern warnings that are common in newer cars. At the other end of the spectrum, Level 5 represents a fully autonomous vehicle that can drive in all conditions without driver input.
The ALKS technology referenced by the government is more a feature that supports drivers than one that could replace them. Cars fitted with this technology would likely be classed as Level 1 or Level 2 Autonomous Vehicles.
There are a few examples of Level 4 vehicles being trialled at the moment, with varying success. Most of these trials are also confined to very specific areas and only in certain driving conditions.
Level 5 autonomy is still a target that no one is close to reaching.
When will autonomous taxis be here?
Two firms in China were recently cleared to run trials of their Level 4 ‘driverless’ taxis. There are a few other examples worldwide but they have had limited success.
It’s clear that the technology isn’t too far away, but enthusiasts have been claiming they’re just around the corner for over a decade.
The general belief in the industry is that Level 4 autonomous vehicles will be providing localised taxi services somewhere between 2025-2030. But considering all the legislation that will need to go alongside this technology, that seems to be an extremely ambitious timescale.
When (or if) they do arrive, it’ll be cities that are the first affected. With the best technology in the world, it’s going to take at least another 30-40 years before an AI can cope with Britain’s ruined rural roads.