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10/10/2011
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Technological advances have now made it possible for a vehicle to run without a driver, but is a driverless future actually desirable? Volvo Trucks says that making vehicles more autonomous is perhaps not a question of excluding drivers, but rather of emphasising their importance.
 Carl Johan Almqvist, traffic and product safety director at Volvo Trucks believes the safest approach to driving is to combine the automated system's 360° awareness with the professional driver's knowledge and experience.
"We believe in the driver and appreciate that the human brain can make decisions that automatic systems struggle with," he says. "The computer never gets tired, but it can only do things for which it is programmed. As soon as you are outside of normal situations, that is where the driver's skill comes in. Drivers are often best placed to assess a situation and to choose between slowing down, panic braking or driving round an obstacle."
Volvo Trucks is working on systems that support drivers in situations where they are under-stimulated, such as when stuck in a traffic jam. "When you are moving slowly your mind wanders, you aren't focused on driving and if the car in front suddenly stops, you more likely to hit it," says Almqvist. "There are situations where it's a good idea to support the driver."
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Author
John Challen
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