Do you hate small-talking with cab drivers? Does getting in an Uber make you nervous because you don’t trust the driver’s intentions? Well, companies like Motional, Waymo, and Cruise may have the solution for those problems. Robotaxis, that is, self-driving taxis, are already transporting passengers in several cities across the U.S. While self-driving cars sound like a thing of the future, you can actually ride in one this year!
A robotaxi is a self-driving, or autonomous, car that acts as a taxi. Instead of flagging down a human driver, people can connect to and hail robotaxis with the help of a smartphone. Similarly to other ride-hailing services, users can simply request a ride in an app and wait for a self-driving car to pick them up and drive them somewhere else. No other humans are involved in the process, and no one else is in the car except the passengers.
If you’re unfamiliar with autonomous cars, you may wonder how on earth a car could drive by itself. The short answer is that experts have developed complex technology that is able to monitor the vehicle’s surroundings, plan the best course of action, and get to a destination safely. These vehicles are equipped with the following:
All of these features are designed to work seamlessly and instantaneously so that the passenger has a smooth, stress-free ride.
While robotaxis are also available in other parts of the world like China, they’ve been launched in several U.S. cities. Uber and Lyft have partnered with Motional to offer robotaxi rides in Las Vegas, NV and Los Angeles, CA. Waymo and Cruise are currently running robotaxis in Phoenix, AZ and San Francisco, CA. Cruise robotaxis are also available in Austin, TX.
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classifies six levels of driving automation, which the U.S. Department of Transportation has adopted. The levels range from fully manual to fully autonomous.
Most robotaxis can be classified as Levels 4-5. Many of them are fully capable of driving by themselves, but they may be limited to driving in certain areas, times, and conditions.
It’s understandable if you’re skeptical about the safety of self-driving vehicles. Humans don’t always want to rely on machines and computers when lives are at stake. However, the companies behind these cars are all very concerned about safety. In fact, most of them cite safety as their primary reason for developing these vehicles.
Robotaxis are designed with safety in mind. Besides the fact that autonomous cars don’t have human faults like getting distracted, drowsy, or drunk, they’re built to have more vision and awareness than humans do. With dozens of sensors and cameras, the vehicles have a 360° view of their surroundings. They’re also equipped with complex software that predicts the behavior of people, other cars, and objects so that it’s prepared if something happens unexpectedly.
In addition, the technology systems are built with multiple backup systems in place so that if one system fails, another is ready to kick in. If the system detects an error too serious to be taken care of at the moment, the vehicle will simply stop driving to prevent a robotaxi crash. The computers are also built with cybersecurity to protect the vehicle’s systems from being hacked. All of these backups and safety features should work together to keep passengers even safer than they would be if they were driving themselves.
Of course, the makers of robotaxis understand these safety concerns and have already performed numerous tests before allowing them to run on public roads. Some of the tests they ran include:
So, are robotaxis truly safe? The companies behind them state that they are the key to a safer future on the road, but only time will tell if that’s true.
There are a few different parties that could be held liable for damages in the event of a robotaxi crash. Just like normal car crashes, investigations are necessary to decide who is at fault in a crash involving autonomous vehicles. Some of the parties that could be responsible for damages in a robotaxi crash are:
Although the creators of autonomous cars believe that vehicles like robotaxis could be the solution to total road safety, car crashes may still happen due to defects in technology and glitches in software. In the event that you or someone you love is injured in a robotaxi crash, you’ll want to make sure you get the compensation you deserve. Our caring and compassionate personal injury attorneys are ready to help you. We care, and we can help.
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