While almost all auto makers plan to roll out a fleet of fully self-driving vehicles in the future, Nissan is making a twist. They want to include human touch.
The auto maker does not believe that vehicles can have full autonomy without human oversight. This is why Nissan is co-developing its Seamless Autonomous Mobility (SAM) with NASA, which will allow human “mobility managers” to take over the vehicles in case a problem happens.
Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said during his first Consumer Electronics Show (CES) keynote address that no matter how sophisticated the artificial intelligence, human intervention will always be needed. He gave a situation where a car gets stuck as an example.
During the CES, they showed a SAM-equipped vehicle encountering a construction obstacle while driving. The car halted to a stop and put on its hazard lights. Using its LTE wireless connection, it notified an engineer on the stage about the incident. As a result, the mobility manager created a new route on his computer screen around the obstruction and sent it to the car.
Nissan plans to launch its self-driving features into at least 10 of its models by 2020. Moreover, the auto maker envisions that by 2030, approximately 15 percent of the cars it sells will be autonomous.
Statistics
- It is estimated that 95 percent of traffic accidents is caused by human error.
- There were 746 and 638 motor vehicles fatalities in Kentucky in 2012 and 2013 respectively. A 15.4% percent decrease was experienced covering these years.
- It is projected that driverless cars are going to take over in 2035.
Driverless Cars in Kentucky
Are we ready for a driverless car? As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I have always believed that we, the drivers, are the ones responsible for our safety on the road. But with how fast self-driving cars are becoming a nationwide hit, the answer to this question seems to unfold soon.
I am always for technology, especially if it is built to improve road safety for every motorist, cyclist, and pedestrian in the state. However, we may be a little hesitant to embrace the self-driving technology after hearing self-driving accidents here and there. Even the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does not recommend that states allow the operation of self-driving vehicles. Still, I am positive that with proper planning and execution, a driverless car state is not impossible. But for the meantime, let’s focus on exercising safe driving habits, from wearing seatbelts to driving sober.