Driverless cars – do all roads lead to electronic drivers?

Swiss Car manufacturer Rinspeed premiered its state of the art Xchange Concept car at the Motor Show. No longer benefiting just the drivers, this car is geared more towards the comfort of all its passengers with seats that swivel, tilt and spin to the passenger's content. Described as an 'office and living room on wheels' it rivals something you would see in a first class plane cabin, with a fully adjustable steering wheel, a full length dashboard/entertainment centre and retractable seats which allow you to turn around, lie back and enjoy movies on a 32in screen. The model revealed at the show is experimental, however manufacturers have every intention on making this Sci-Fi inspired car real life. This is a long way away from the original concept of driverless car technology which was designed for the safety of its drivers and all road users. Are we 'steering' too far from this objective? More to the point, why are we bothering with this extra technology? I am fully behind the idea of installing technology to assist with the SAFETY of vehicles; not to mention technology developed for electric, environmentally friendly cars. The UK Department of Transport has been developing and testing autonomous car technology which uses lasers and camera's to maintain safe distances from other vehicles. Although yet to go mainstream – these have been tested out on UK roads. With a series of technology inside the vehicle such as lane keep assist, advanced intelligent cruise control and advanced emergency braking, it's the hope that this technology will provide safer and more efficient transport. The Scotland IS Technology Trends presentation which I attended earlier in the year predicts that by 2024 it will be mandatory for activities which may injure human lives – such as driving – to be run with a non over-ridable smart system. Transport by plane and trains already have elements of automation, it is only inevitable that it enters our cars, however the reasons behind this are the safety aspects – an argument I can definitely get behind. Toyota and Lexus have also been working on driverless car technology but with the focus being to 'enhance the skill of the driver', stating a 'more skilful driver is a safer driver'. This is done with the use of stereo cameras, laser technology with the ability to differentiate traffic light colours and detect objects up to 100ft away. These cars work with the driver to make the roads a safer place, not remove the driver all together. Beyond the safety features is it really necessary to be able to play video games, surf the internet and take part in video conference calls when you're driving down a motorway at 60mph? The Xchange concept car even features an espresso machine – why do we need to be working on our barista skills while we are driving? Fully automated cars may not be a reality as of yet but a number of electronic companies unveiled their latest in-car entertainment consoles at the Geneva Motor Show. These consoles are designed to make car journeys more entertaining for drivers. Apple's new CarPlay system is a touchscreen system installed directly onto dashboards. The system is designed to work with the voice control feature Siri and will 'let drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimised distraction'. Minimised distraction yes, but the point is the distraction is still there. Similarly, Google launched its Open Automotive Alliance bringing its Android platform to General Motors, Honda and Hyundai cars this year, as has Microsoft whose Windows Embedded Automotive Technology is installed in UK Ford Focuses and Fiesta's. Isn't the point of cars to get from A to B? If being on a mobile phone whilst driving is illegal due to the distractions it causes, why on earth are we throwing entertainment centres with video games and movies into the mix? Like many people I actually enjoy driving and if people want to lie back and watch a movie whilst travelling cant they take a train? If we remove manual drivers from cars all together do we still get that sense of achievement when passing our driving tests or finally getting to drive our dream cars? More to the point, are automated cars with no drivers, LED lighting, plasma screens and hot beverage dispensers really necessary? Or are we deviating away from what is really needed to make our roads a safer place? Anndeep Sandhu is a marketing executive with Enigma People Solutions.