With major auto manufacturers pouring resources into autonomous vehicles, self-driving cars will eventually become the norm. But the technology has its challenges, including safety concerns and a lack of consumer trust.
Despite numerous accidents, including a fatal crash involving Tesla’s Autopilot system, the development of self-driving cars is proceeding apace. But even when the car takes over, a human needs to be ready at all times to take control in case of an emergency, or the driver will be held responsible if an accident occurs.
As the world’s oldest country, Japan is especially keen to develop driverless vehicles that can help reduce the burden on its aging population. In May this year, the town of Eiheiji became the first in the country to launch a passenger service operated by fully automated driverless vehicles.
However, a few months into operation, the service was temporarily suspended after a driverless vehicle hit a parked bicycle on October 29. None of the four passengers aboard were injured, and the developers are investigating what caused the accident.
The accident is the latest blow to efforts worldwide to promote driverless vehicles, a technology with particular potential benefits in aging Japan. According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), if the country’s aging population could benefit from the use of driverless vehicles, it would reduce the amount of time people spend traveling between their homes and workplaces, thus reducing the number of missed work days due to illness.
And if the vehicles can be used to get around towns and cities, they could also provide an easy form of transport for disabled people. But the accident comes just a day after California authorities suspended testing driverless cars being operated as robotaxis by General Motors’ Cruise subsidiary following several accidents and other problems.
In March this year, Japan amended its road traffic laws to allow for Level 4 self-driving vehicles to operate on public roads – but only with strictly regulated parameters, dictating things like the times and zones in which they can drive and what speeds they can travel at.
The first vehicle to be approved by the ministry was a driverless bus-like model similar to an electric golf cart developed by Green Slow Mobility. The model, dubbed the Trapizio, is designed to carry up to 20 passengers and has no pedals or a steering wheel, instead relying on a range of sensors to avoid obstacles. It can negotiate roads with regular vehicles but is currently limited to a top speed of 25 kph (about 14 mph). The company developing it has said it will not introduce higher-speed versions. However, the system will soon be able to handle highway driving as well. A test will begin in 2023. The government will then consider extending its scope further, including fully autonomous highway driving.