[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/are-self-driving-cars-a-menace-to-society\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/are-self-driving-cars-a-menace-to-society\/","headline":"Are self-driving cars a menace to society?","name":"Are self-driving cars a menace to society?","description":"The timing of this year\u2019s National Autonomous Vehicle Day (May 31) couldn\u2019t have been worse. Car manufacturers (and other companies such as Google and Uber) have been tirelessly pursuing efforts to make self-driving cars a reality and it has been accepted for some time now that autonomous vehicles are an inevitability. However, this week saw the publication of a report by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), highlighting oversights in Uber\u2019s driverless testing programme that resulted in the death […]","datePublished":"2018-05-25","dateModified":"2018-05-30","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Volvo-uber-feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Volvo-uber-feature.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/are-self-driving-cars-a-menace-to-society\/","about":["BLOG","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":471,"keywords":["google","tesla","Uber"],"articleBody":"The timing of this year\u2019s National Autonomous Vehicle Day (May 31) couldn\u2019t have been worse.Car manufacturers (and other companies such as Google and Uber) have been tirelessly pursuing efforts to make self-driving cars a reality and it has been accepted for some time now that autonomous vehicles are an inevitability.However, this week saw the publication of a report by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), highlighting oversights in Uber\u2019s driverless testing programme that resulted in the death of a 49-year-old pedestrian in Arizona back in March.Issues with Uber\u2019s sensor suite meant the woman was detected, but the self-driving car failed to slow or stop because the system didn\u2019t identify the object as a person pushing a bicycle. As a result, the car hit the woman at about 40mph.The car\u2019s emergency braking system had been disabled and Uber did not install a warning system to alert the human safety driver who would take control in an emergency, the NTSB\u2019s report also found. Uber explained its decision was aimed to \u201creduce the potential for erratic vehicle behaviour\u201d, claiming that other road users could be confused by a car that is too cautious and stops too often or abruptly.Pravin Varaiya, professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, said that emergency braking was switched off to give a comfortable ride. In an article published by the Financial Times, he said: \u201cThis may be a persistent problem in autonomous vehicles: too many false positives will entail too much emergency braking, which no one will tolerate.\u201dTesla This isn\u2019t the first time a self-driving car has been involved in a fatal road accident. In the same month as the Uber incident, a self-driving Tesla Model X SUV slammed into a concrete highway lane divider and burst into flames. The driver died shortly afterwards at the hospital.Unbelievably, this is the second time Tesla\u2019s semi-autonomous Autopilot function was controlling the car when it was involved in a fatal collision. Tesla confirmed that the Autopilot was on but the car\u2019s adaptive cruise control distance was set to the minimum. Visual and audio warnings occur if the driver takes their hands off the wheel for too long, and the car will bring itself to a safe stop and turn on its hazard lights if the driver doesn\u2019t respond.Data pulled from the wrecked car suggests that the driver would have had about five seconds and 150 meters of unobstructed view of the concrete barrier before the crash. The idea of playing Tetris or watching a film while our car drives us down to the shops is easy to appreciate, but it is clear that while the tech is fast advancing, it still has a long journey ahead of itself."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Are self-driving cars a menace to society?","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/blog\/are-self-driving-cars-a-menace-to-society\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]