A message from the Department for Transport popped into my inbox on Wednesday morning, saying that ritain is moving closer to a self-driving revolution. The purpose of the message was to let people know that the Highway Code is going to be changed to make sure self-driving vehicles are safe on UK roads.
When travelling in self-driving mode, motorists must be ready to resume control in a timely way if they are prompted to, such as when they approach motorway exits. They show a puzzling change to current regulations, allowing drivers to view content that is not related to driving on built-in display screens while the self-driving vehicle is in control. Is it possible to watch Gardeners on the iPlayer, but not videos of F1 races? It will still be illegal to use mobile phones in self-driving mode, despite the fact that they pose a greater risk to drivers.
The announcement is covered in three layers of political cant. This exciting technology is being developed at a rapid pace in Great Britain but not in Northern Ireland. The government is assuring that we have strong foundations in place for drivers when the technology takes to our roads, which will be great once it has attended to the crumbling physical foundations of the roads in my neighbourhood. It's all happening, while boosting economic growth across the nation and securing Britain's place as a global science superpower.
Quite so. What is the self-driving capability that is being enabled by our local superpower? It's an acronym for "automated lane keeping systems" and it allows a vehicle to drive itself in a single lane up to 37mph.
You are obliged to tweak the steering wheel every minute to confirm you’re in charge of the car and paying attention
Wow! For a reality check. The six levels of driving automation are defined by the Society of automotive Engineers. There is a single system for driver assistance in level 1. The human driver monitors the other aspects of driving, such as steering and braking, in adaptive cruise control, where the vehicle is kept at a safe distance behind the next car.
Level 2 is partial driving automation. The car can accelerate and decelerate. It is not self-driving because a human can take control of the car at any time. The Cadillac Super Cruise system is a Level 2 system according to the SAE.
The government calls it a slightly degraded version of Level 2 automation because it is limited to speeds of 37mph or less. I can testify that the ludicrously named autopilot doesn't confine itself to such modest velocities because I drive aTesla. It's good to keep the car in the center of the road, and it will brake to keep a safe distance from the car in front, if one has set a maximum speed. You have to keep tweaking the steering wheel to make sure you are in charge of the car. It really struggles when you take it off a dual-carriageway and onto a standard rural road.
The cars got stuck in the slow lane.
It is useful in modest ways. While travelling on a motorway to collect his daughter from Heathrow, the owner of aTesla switched on autopilot and was able to think great thoughts while at the same time extending his battery range, because he was able to slipstream behind a big truck at 60mph. His daughter rang and told him that she had landed and was wondering where he was.
It's quite a stretch for the Johnson government to talk about Level 2 automation as self-driving. We may one day get to Level 5 for vehicles that don't require human attention and don't have steering wheels or pedals. They will be able to do anything that an experienced human driver can do. It won't happen just yet, no matter how much Musk hypes it. The UK government is trying to get ahead of a curve for a change. While they are waiting for Level 5, would it be a good idea to fix the roads in Britain so that those cars can have a smooth ride when they finally arrive?
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