Could Self-Driving Cars be Harmful to the Environment?

For many years, self-driving cars technology has remained a mystery about the extent of its safety and environmental protection. Despite the high hopes expected from it, fully automated cars have not yet appeared in showrooms, but the technology is poised to make a leap forward this year, with major American and German companies expected to present it. Japan has the third level of self-driving cars, which will allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel and not pay attention to the road.

Levels of self-driving cars

The first level of automated driving provides the lowest degree of driver assistance, as the car contains at least one support system, which provides the driver with assistance in steering the car, braking its speed, stopping it, or assisting with acceleration, while the driver remains responsible for driving the car and is ready to take charge of driving the car.

At any time and for any reason. As for the second level, which is partial autonomous driving, it applies to cars equipped with advanced driving assistance systems that can control basic driving tasks such as steering, acceleration and braking, but within the framework of specific scenarios during which the driver remains alert to effectively supervise the technology at all times.

But the third level, which companies have begun to implement on the ground now, uses various driver assistance systems, including artificial intelligence that makes decisions based on the changing driving situations around the car.

At the third level, the driver inside the self-driving cars does not need to supervise the technology that controls driving, which means that he can take advantage of the time and participate in other activities such as using the personal computer, phone, or reading. However, the human driver must be present and able to control the car. At any time, especially in the event of an emergency due to a system malfunction, the human driver cannot fall asleep or enjoy a nap during the trip.

Given that there is no need for a human driver at all, the fourth level car will not contain A steering wheel and pedals, and all passengers or the only passenger can enjoy sleeping during the car trip. However, the fourth level cannot drive in all weather conditions and all places.

This is what the fifth and final level will achieve, which is the level of full self-driving cars as the highest classification, as the vehicle can drive It is everywhere and in various circumstances without any human interaction. It is not tied to a geographical scope and is not affected by the weather. It transports people comfortably, efficiently and safely, and without the need for a driver or even any passenger inside it if requested to do so.

Negative effects

Although people have been dreaming of these levels of luxury and a safer and more efficient degree than human drivers, which opens up new opportunities for the elderly, people with disabilities, and others who cannot drive themselves, this interest, focused primarily on the concept of safety and luxury, carries within it Some negative environmental impacts of self-driving vehicles.

Through two recent studies co-led by Scott Hardman, of the Center for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research at the University of California, and Giovanni Circella, director of the Future Automotive Revolutions Program at the University of California – Davis, the research teams found that self-driving cars and automated vehicles could make people drive more distances. than they currently do, leading to more congestion, greater energy consumption and thus more pollution.

Longer flights and more pollution

These studies indicate that riding in a self-driving car is much less stressful than the busy driving, attention demands, and stress that sometimes accompany it, so people are willing to sit on longer trips without worrying about more traffic if they can relax and do other things during the trip.

The promise of comfortable travel, a quiet commute to work, and the benefit of time spent during the trip could make some people move away from their workplaces, and this may accelerate the trends of expansion and housing in the suburbs or outside the major city belt, which is what Level 2 self-driving cars are currently doing, which confirms that The more advanced Level 3 automated vehicles that will be on the market before the end of this year will encourage more driving in the future, which means more air pollution and congestion.

Solutions and ideas

Assuming that self-driving cars and vehicles will use zero-emission technology in the future, as the state of California is currently doing, which will provide great help in solving the pollution problem, future US plans to make all electric cars 100 percent carbon-free will not prevent electric cars.

From the release of some primary emissions through power generation, in addition to all transportation and car travel, it causes other harmful effects, such as water and air pollution from the wear of brakes (brakes) and car tires, in addition to collisions with wildlife and traffic congestion.

To prevent an explosion in driving and its associated harms, researchers and environmental activists suggest that governments, regulators and communities send signals that driving will not be free, especially on empty trips where there are no passengers inside the car.

Rationalization policies

While similar policies in effect today relate to imposing fuel taxes with the aim of limiting the movement of private cars, reducing fuel consumption, and providing funding for road maintenance, the impact of fuel taxes on drivers’ behavior will decrease with the adoption and spread of electric cars, and this means that the transportation sector will need to develop mechanisms New funding, such as charging for the number of miles a vehicle travels, would encourage travelers with private vehicles to consider cheaper and more efficient methods, such as public transport, walking and cycling.

In addition, additional fees can be imposed for driving in crowded city centers, or a fee system can be imposed based on other factors such as the timing of driving according to levels of traffic congestion, the number and type of passengers inside the car, through the use of modern communication technologies that allow tracking the location and time of cars moving on the roads. , such as the system currently used by Singapore through its electronic road fare program to reduce congestion and regulate traffic flow.

Other options are to promote the use of shared fleets of vehicles and self-driving cars owned by commercial companies such as Uber, Lyft, and other ride-sharing service providers, as an alternative to privately owned cars, which may contribute to making the abandonment of ownership A car is possible in the near future, especially if more effective policies are adopted now, even before the spread of self-driving vehicles.