There’s a Hidden Barrier To Autonomous Driving
While autonomous driving technology continues to advance, there are a few large barriers to be overcome before going mainstream.
Written by Preston Charles
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
A
self-driving
, autonomous, car seems like something from a sci-fi novel; almost up there with flying cars (I’m sure Elon is working on that). But that future is beginning to make itself known in the present as autonomous driving
is becoming a major focus for multiple car companies. Despite the amount of resources being poured into self-driving technology, an estimated $186 billion by 2030, there are a number of barriers. One barrier that is often overlooked is the question of how to make up missing tax revenue from tickets when we switch to self-driving cars.
Why is the industry moving towards autonomous driving?
While the idea of it is very cool, it’s not exactly like the market has piped up and asked for it. In fact, according to
USA Today
, the general public is largely more skeptical than they are open to the idea of self-driving cars. But automakers believe that, in the long run, fully autonomous cars will lead to safer, less congested roads. They’re hedging their bets that people don’t yet know what they’re missing out on.
Currently the technology is expanding from Level 2 to Level 3 autonomous driving. According to Nik Miles, writer for Our Auto Expert and 20 year veteran on the subject, we’re still a ways off from Level 5 aka “fully autonomous.”
At Level 3, a driver is still needed in the drivers seat but they can begin to take their eyes off the road for longer periods of time, freeing them up to read or play a sudoku puzzle.
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The hurdles to getting to fully self-driving cars
As one can imagine, the obstacles for this type of fundamental and largely unknown shift in the auto industry are big and layered. Alongside the utopian sci-fi picture of the fully autonomous car is the more nefarious concerns of technology being hacked, causing your car to go haywire and crash.
There’s also a very logistical yet glaring barrier in the form of cities being largely funded by traffic tickets. When the self-driving car never rolls a stop sign or inches over the speed limit, where does all of the
ticket revenue
come from? It’s an odd but very practical issue that Miles goes on to point out.Like nearly everything else related to cutting-edge automobile technology, the need for microchips and semiconductors is a reality for autonomous driving as well. As things currently stand, Ukraine is one of the major manufacturers of key components for semiconductors, and, well, things are far less than ideal there at the moment.
MORE: Nissan Is the Latest Company to Experiment With LiDar For Self-Driving Cars
Car insurance in the meantime
Who knows exactly what
car insurance
may look like for Level 5 autonomous driving, but in the meantime, you’re going to want solid coverage when you’re behind the wheel. Super app,
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