Little by little, autonomous cars are gaining a certain presence. It is true that, to this day, it is still overwhelmingly a minority, and that it will still take years for them to become commonplace. However, and this is a merit that must be recognized to Tesla, because with its pluses and minuses, it is undoubtedly the main responsible for having brought autonomous driving to the fore, thus making many other manufacturers have to step on the accelerator in these technologies.
He said, however, that we will still have to wait a while, a few years, until autonomous cars begin to populate the streets and highways in a representative way. I still remember when, around 2016 and 2017, 2020 began to be pointed out as the year that would be a revolution in this regard. However, we are about to finish the fourth month of 2022 and, for now, the closest thing we’ve seen is Tesla assistance systems, and many promises to keep.
However, given that this future is inexorably approachingit makes a lot of sense to start proposing a legal framework that regulates the use of autonomous cars. It’s too soon? Perhaps, but when in doubt it seems to me much smarter to advance in this sense, to wait a while, only to discover that autonomous cars are already a reality, but that there is no regulatory code for them and that, consequently, this has to be elaborated on the run, with the multiple problems that this usually poses.
Thus, today it is news, as we can read on the BBC, that the United Kingdom is already making progress in this direction, and one of the most striking aspects is that theto British standard will allow the driver to watch TV while “driving” such a vehicle. It will have to be, yes, compulsorily through the information and entertainment system of the vehicle itself, not through any other device. Moreover, the use of the same, such as the smartphone, will continue to be prohibited, even when the car is operating in fully autonomous mode.
This, which may seem strange, actually has a reason for being, and that is that self-driving cars may require the driver’s attention at any time and even that he has to take control of driving. Thus, the entertainment system itself is expected to interrupt playback and immediately alert the driver to carry out the expected actions. This is not feasible, or at least not so immediate, if what the user is using is a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop or any other device.
What do you think? Do you think the British government is rushing to start regulating the use of autonomous cars, when their use is not even authorized in the country, or do you think it is right to get ahead of itself? And regarding this rule, do you think it makes sense or do you think it’s too risky?
