▷ Autonomous cars will change the way people think about traffic jams

There is no alternative to the private car that is comparable to it in terms of comfort, practicality and running costs: compromises of one kind or another are found everywhere. However, the situation could change dramatically when autonomous cars take over the market.

Congestion will not necessarily ease

Today it is difficult to imagine what traffic might look like with many vehicles traveling independently, but according to Elmantas Latkauskas, director of the Goodyear representative office in Lithuania, it is not worth waiting for the roads to be empty due to such technology. Now it is difficult to predict the future, but there is a possibility that the number of cars on the streets will increase even more.

“The further we go, the more independent people become from where they are: they can work while traveling by train, bus or plane. It is not possible to work with a computer only while driving, but the situation would change when autonomous transport became widespread. It is possible that in this case even more people would use personal transport, because there would be no need to drive while traveling,” thinks E. Latkauskas.

It is possible that people would use it more actively if they could work, read the news or watch movies while traveling around the city. If you can only be late for work by opening your computer too late, sitting in traffic isn’t a problem. Self-driving vehicles have a greater opportunity not to eliminate traffic jams, but to change their nature: people would start to consider parking not as a waste of time.

At last year’s Geneva Motor Show, Goodyear presented a vision of what autonomous cars of the future should look like. The company’s Eagle 360 spherical tire concept was recognized by Time magazine as one of the best inventions of the year. Tires represent a very important aspect in the development of autonomous technologies, because their quality and wear change the characteristics of the car. Self-driving vehicles will still have to learn to evaluate them, or the tires themselves will have to do it and send relevant information to the car.

There are many challenges to face during the transition period

When asked what the transition period might be like on the streets of Lithuanian cities, when most cars will be common and another self-driving car will appear, Darius Jonušis, head of the BMW Driving Academy, responded in one word: “Absolutely not.”

“I can’t imagine such a situation, because at least for now I don’t see autonomous cars in our chaotic traffic. I wonder how they would survive on our roads? After all, autonomous cars are mainly focused on road signs, and in many places we don’t have them at all, so many things would have to be changed and modernized. This is a set of measures for which our state is simply not ready,” says D. Jonušis.

A Goodyear representative agrees that the biggest problem for self-driving cars is underdeveloped infrastructure. Road markings on almost all roads should be updated, there should be no potholes, and trees and bushes along the road should not block signs and traffic lights.

No less a challenge awaits motorists, who will have to adapt their behavior when the first autonomous vehicles appear on the roads.

“Self-driving vehicles would drive according to all traffic rules, move slowly from intersections, not exceed the permitted speed, easily change lanes and avoid sudden ovements. We can imagine what a student preparing for the B category exam looks like in the traffic flow – this is what a self-driving car would look like in today’s traffic,” compares E. Latkauskas.

Some technologies are already available today

No mass-produced car can drive autonomously for long, but there are many prototypes. Now, many cars already have the ability to drive without deviating from the lane for at least a few seconds, to automatically turn on the low beams instead of the high beams, to brake autonomously when they see an obstacle or even to stop and activate the emergency signal if the driver falls asleep.

“Autonomous driving technology is developing rapidly, and it’s hard to say which aspect is the best or most important. Individually, these technologies offer numerous possibilities, and combined, they can achieve things that were almost unimaginable a few years ago. For example, some cars can drive autonomously in traffic jams: adaptive cruise control helps maintain a constant distance from the vehicle in front and accelerates or comes to a complete stop; lane keeping assist allows the vehicle to stay within its lane without the driver touching the steering wheel,” said E. Latkauskas, emphasizing that these technologies do not allow drivers to use their phones in traffic jams—the human element remains the most important factor in the car.

Despite technological advancements, D. Jonušis, Director of the BMW Driving Academy, urged caution and reminded us that electronic assistance systems are not a panacea.

“We must not forget that road traffic consists of three elements: the road, the vehicle, and the driver. The vehicle is only one of them. Driving is safe only when all three elements function perfectly,” said an experienced driver.