A new study into the capability of automated driving systems has come to the conclusion that there’s still a long, long way to go before they can safely take over for drivers. According to a study conducted by AAA, the average system does “not perform consistently, especially in real-world scenarios.”
Researchers at AAA tested partially automated driving systems, also known as active driving assistance systems. These systems are being developed and put in place by multiple different auto manufacturers. The systems tested included BMWs “Active Driving Assistant Professional,” Cadillac’s “Super Cruise,” Ford’s “Ford Co-Pilot360,” Kia’s “Highway Driving Assist,” and Subaru’s “EyeSight.”
Systems were tested in both real-world scenarios and on test tracks. The results were sobering in both situations.
While engaged in what AAA calls “real-world driving” on public roads, the systems experienced an issue once every 8 miles on average. The vast majority of errors (73%) were due to lane departure or erratic positioning.
Even closed-course testing proved to be a massive problem for the systems. While they functioned as expected in most circumstances, the systems had particular difficulty detecting a stationary vehicle in the roadway. In test scenarios, the vehicles struck stationary “dummy vehicles” 66% of the time, with an average impact speed of 25 mph.
“Active driving assistance systems are designed to assist the driver and help make the roads safer, but the fact is, these systems are in the early stages of their development,” said AAA’s director of automotive engineering and industry relations, Greg Brannon, in a press release. “With the number of issues we experienced in testing, it is unclear how these systems enhance the driving experience in their current form.”
Because of the results, AAA is recommending that automakers “perfect functionality as much as possible” before including these automated driving systems into larger vehicles.
“AAA has repeatedly found that active driving assistance systems do not perform consistently, especially in real-word scenarios,” said Brannon. “Manufacturers need to work toward more dependable technology, including improving lane keeping assistance and providing more adequate alerts.”
Source: AAA, ttnews, consumerreports, thehill
Only a complete moron ever thought self-driving semis were gonna happen in our lifetime…
…things my 88 year old grandpa might have said in the 70s regarding video calling…
Video calling doesn’t roll down the road at 65 mph weighing 80,000 pounds. Video calling won’t kill you if it malfunctions.
It will be decades before autonomous trucks are pervasive on the highways. Even Teslas have a problem on average, every 8 miles with their “auto pilot”… they have years of R&D, and millions of miles with real world users. You will, more than likely, be a very old man before you see it.
If you think video calling is so awesome and flawless. Well then by all means…stick your family in the back seat with yourself and enjoy worry free perfect driving
A video chat compared to a self driving 40 tonner? I know what you are saying ,and I’m sure u see my point.
I am a driver so I am happy to see autonomous vehicles dry themselves as far as big trucks go..its my bread and butter.I wouldn’t mind however seeing every 4 wheeler being totally non driver and the occupants can look at their device at will,the roads wouldn’t be one big race track and my job would be easier.
Dare to dream…lol
I guess spellcheck messed that up.
Happy to see autonomy fail commercially
Would love to see it publicly.
Mmmkay
One more thing..do u think developers have an acceptable fatality rate in mind..do you think that there will be fatal accidents…I wonder.
Thanks.
No s*** huh!
I believe the need for self driving trucks was developed in response to the overwhelming amount of complete morons who were out there now.
I’m pretty sure greed is the motivation for developing them. These companies .make big promises then cyber beg to get the funding playing on trucking companies and venture capitalists greed
Agreed.
You watch a lot of drivers today, and they seem to have a serious problem with lane positioning and departure, not to mention detecting stopped vehicles (how often do you read where a truck has hit a parked vehicle??)…..
I believe the desire for self driving trucks was created by mega carrier executives who jump for joy at the thought that they can get rid of drivers and hire any breathing mammal and put them in the seat so there is something to blame if the self driving vehicle runs somebody over. Meanwhile if the truck doesn’t screw up you can pay the person in the seat with peanuts or baseball cards. You can’t get any better then that.
Thank you. Finally someone sees it for what it is.
Like I’m perfectly fine with my adaptive cruise control system in my 2019 Cascadia, it’s pretty accurate and makes following people who don’t know how to use their cruise control much less frustrating.
But I wouldn’t ever rely on it. In the winter, or even in heavy rain, it’ll fail. Get enough insect residue on the sensors, fail. Too much sun, fail.
And if the common motoring public get whiff that trucks are fully autonomous, people will brake check them even more or barge their sensors to get them to move out of the way, or just screw with them in general. People are already exploiting Tesla’s autopilot, like changing the speed limit signs to fool the system to think the speed limit is faster than it really is, and it’s lane change system is abhorrent.
NOTHING SHOULD DRIVE WITHOUT A HUMAN IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT!!! EVER!!!
Amen. I believe the accident stats would go up.
You don’t have to run faster than the bear, to get away. You just need to be faster than your buddy.
These systems don’t have to be perfect – just better than humans. That would be enough to get them regulatory approval.
Locomotives don’t have to make turns and not a lot of traffic in their lanes still the only place I’ve seen remote control trains is in a yard like a steel mill or some other kind of big plant. So think about it. I’m not to afraid yet. It would be way easier to have driverless trains than trucks.
I would concur.
If there is any industry that lends itself to full automation, it would be rail.
I agree.
I don’t see self driving vehicles taking Jobs anytime soon. I just don’t think that all the variables can be programmed in to a system. Just think about a vehicle entering a construction zone, for instance Paving, fresh pavement , no lines painted yet. What would happen????
Probably a dead stop if it couldn’t find its bearings.
And imagine trying to explain to your insurance company hackers stole $2 million worth of pharma AND your automated truck! (Prolly worth another 3/4 million!)
I’ve pretty much said this from the git-go. All thee drivers sweating their jobs have nothing to worry about. Your job is not going away in our lifetime.
This world has gone absolutely crazy. Common sense tells us this idea is impractical, dangerous and would never work. No “testing” needed.
But . . . good intentions! What about all their “good intentions” to make a totally safe Utopian world??🥺
Truck drivers have been saying this for years. We could have saved them million of dollars. But noooooo. No one listens to us dumb truckers. What do we know? Mr. & Mrs. Trucker were right.
A video chat compared to a self driving 40 tonner? I know what you are saying ,and I’m sure u see my point.
I am a driver so I am happy to see autonomous vehicles dry themselves as far as big trucks go..its my bread and butter.I wouldn’t mind however seeing every 4 wheeler being totally non driver and the occupants can look at their device at will,the roads wouldn’t be one big race track and my job would be easier.
Dare to dream…lol
But who’s gonna deal with the lumpers if there’s no driver to take an advance against his paycheck to pay them?
Thanks AAA! We’re still in demand! Unfortunately the cheap pricks are still in command!
I drive a Volvo VN truck ( not because I want to), which is stuffed with sensors, radar, cameras and tone signals. On a nice, dry, sunny day it’s annoying. During wet snow the front radar is the first to fail, the cameras can’t see snow covered lane markings. When going through temporary orange lanes in construction sites, the truck gets confused. When I enter a curving off, or on ramp the front radar thinks I’m about to hit someting, because it senses the side rails when I’m at an angle to them. One time, when the curve was very sharp the truck suddenly turned on the breaks and I stopped with people almost running into the back of my trailer. This is where the technology is now, so yes I agree with the AAA. There are so many variables involved in evrry decision a driver makes, that they are impossible yo be dolved with sensors and software. Especially when the systems are developed by smart computer people who don’t drive trucks. The big truck company execs they consult aren’t professional drivers either. I mean our corporations safety manager came up from finance, has no CDL and gas seen the inside of a truck only around our yard. Yet when new trucks are being ordered he wants all these new gadgets in them.