The investment in self-driving cars (also known as autonomous vehicles) has raised many questions about safety – not only for drivers but pedestrians too. These cars promise smoother journeys and reduced human error, but the dangers of the road are the same and the smart systems are by no means infallible.
With reports of accidents involving self-driving cars already emerging and the UK poised to introduce them in the near future, one big question remains: are pedestrians more at risk from self-driving vehicles?
1. Reduced driving errors
One of the most widely touted benefits of autonomous vehicles is their ability to reduce human error behind the wheel. As 95% of road traffic accidents are caused by human error, minimising the chance of this could significantly improve road safety.
Even the most experienced driver can make mistakes, whether due to distractions or just poor decision-making, and these momentary slip-ups can cause serious accidents with pedestrians making claims for compensation. In the worst cases, errors can cause fatalities.
In contrast to people, smart self-driving cars are rigid in the rules they follow and how they read the road. They can continuously monitor all aspects of the road and make data-driven decisions for fast, safe responses.
While the consistency of self-driving cars makes them dependable, it doesn’t eliminate the chance of error. Autonomous vehicles use sensors to ‘see’ and can misinterpret situations, especially when there are lots of fast-moving elements to contend with. This still leaves pedestrians vulnerable to car collisions.
2. Unpredictable human behaviour
Pedestrians don’t always follow the rules of the road, such as darting across streets when traffic lights are green. For a human driver, these actions are often anticipated. Pedestrians may even use eye contact or hand gestures to signal their intentions. As self-driving cars are blind to these nuances, they can struggle to interpret these scenarios.
Autonomous systems operate on sensors, so they also cannot read the road as far ahead as humans or decide to employ measures such as defensive driving. They react once an object is recognised, and by then it could be too late to avoid an accident. While AI technology is advancing at a rapid rate, it’s unlikely that it will be able to properly act ‘human’.
3. Issues with technology
Technology is often seen as the solution to road safety issues, but it can experience failure in the same way we’re prone to error. This issue is behind most of the main dangers of self-driving vehicles according to National Accident Helpline, which include:
- The autopilot system activating when it shouldn’t (or failing to activate)
- Crashing into lane dividers, street signs or crossing pedestrians
- A risk of fire from lithium-ion batteries
For example, spontaneous malfunction of software or hardware and external factors such as the weather can interfere with the sensors, causing crashes. Faltering self-driving vehicle systems led to the death of a pedestrian in the US in 2018.
This means that, while the risk of human error is reduced, the risk of error remains. And, even with the impending improvements in smart technology, can we fully trust technology to handle dangerous scenarios as well as humans do? It’s unclear whether the introduction of self-driving cars is more dangerous for pedestrians, but it’s certain that risk remains.
