Oklahoma and other states are starting to see an increase in the number of vehicles that have automated assistance technology. This type of technology is meant to help reduce the number of car accidents that happen on the roadways so that drivers can be safer when traveling. While research on these vehicles is showing that these cars are indeed decreasing the number of common accidents that happen, they’re actually creating more unique accidents.
A problem with human and automation understanding
One of the biggest issues that researchers are finding with humans and automated vehicles is that there is a lack of communication and understanding between the two. While automated vehicles are great for helping drivers to avoid situations like rear-end collisions and swerving in front of other vehicles, they’re actually creating more unique types of accidents.
Car accidents caused by a lapse in quick decision-making are on the rise. This is due to the fact that drivers falsely believe that automated cars will handle all aspects of driving, and they do not need to be supervised. However, in reality, these vehicles are unable to make quick decisions in non-programmed situations. For example, if a car slams on its brakes and the car behind it swerves out of the way, the third car’s automation will be unable to make a quick assessment of the situation to stop the car before hitting the initial car.
There are still glitches that require constant supervision
While automated cars still have a lot of technology that can be helpful in reducing accidents, they’re not foolproof. At the end of the day, they are machines programmed by humans, and AI simply can’t replace human judgment.
For example, an automated car may be programmed to stop in reverse when it senses an obstruction in the rearview cam. However, when the obstruction is small, like a small child, the rear-facing camera may not be able to see the child, and it will continue to back up. A human being will be able to see the child and stop the car in time to avoid a nasty situation.
Automated cars are changing the way that people drive. While they are helping to contribute to a decrease in some common types of accidents, drivers are finding more unique accidents happening. As car automation technology continues to develop, it’s important that humans are properly instructed on how to interact with a vehicle to ensure everyone’s safety.
