Going on autopilot (Epilepsy Today, December 2019)

Self-driving cars could be a game-changer for people who can’t drive. We explore how safe they are, and how much longer until they’re on our roads.

There’s a car hurtling down a busy motorway in Massachusetts, USA, reaching speeds of up to 60mph. Not an uncommon sight, but there’s just one alarming problem - the driver is asleep at the wheel.

Thankfully, the car doesn’t veer off into the next lane, and doesn’t slam into the car in front. It’s able to automatically speed up and brake in time with traffic.

The car is a Tesla Model 3, one of the newest cars available to buy with the ability to drive itself. The driver and his fellow road users are quite safe.

Driving plans
These and many other cars that will eventually have the capability to self-drive are already on the move on our roads. And they have the potential to not only bring in a new era of productivity in many UK sectors. They could also redefine freedom and independence for those with disabilities and people with epilepsy who cannot drive.

In addition, when we’re able to fully adopt self-driving car technology, it could help cut the huge number of deaths and accidents on our roads. According to road safety charity Brake, in 2017 there were 1,793-road related deaths on Britain’s highways, with a further 24,831 people seriously injured.

The government has announced plans to put driverless cars on UK roads as early as 2021, and advanced testing of self-driving cars is well underway in several cities. By 2035, connected and self-driving cars will be said to be worth £52bn.

Chris Grayling, the UK government’s former Transport Secretary, commented: “Many who can’t currently drive will be able to take to the road. Elderly people or people with disabilities which prevent them from travelling today will discover a new sense of freedom and independence.”

As well as Tesla, big-name car manufacturers such as Lexus, Toyota and Volkswagen are racing to develop their
own self-driving car technology. However, it’s important to note that these cars will be immensely expensive. By carrying the latest in sensor and artificial intelligence technology, these cars will be priced out of the reach of many people for some time.

The future, today?
Fully self-driving cars have the potential to be a game-changer for people with epilepsy who are currently not permitted to drive by the DVLA. Imagine stepping out of your house into your car and being taken to work, school or the shops without you having to lift a finger.

You’ll be able to read, sleep, watch TV and even work, as your car gets you to your destination. In theory, one day you’ll be delivered to your chosen destination door to door. And then your car should be able to go off by itself, find a parking space and park itself in it.

Today’s cars are able to do much without driver input. They can brake automatically if its sensors detects something, or someone, in front. They can speed up and slow down to keep in traffic and stay within lanes. Some can even read road signs.

These new developments are sure to be exciting, and a great leap forwards in how we’ll travel in the near future. However, it’s important that we manage our expectations with where we’re at with current technology and the law. We also need to be patient of the work that still needs to be done.

Firstly, we need to understand where the current technology’s limits are, and the work that’s needed for fully self-driving cars. With this in mind, the Society of Automotive Engineers created a classification to describe the progress made so far. Experts say that the latest automatic cars on the roads operate at Level 3. Here, the car can largely drive itself but still might need driver actions in some cases. Level 4 is set to happen within the next few years, and could mean it becomes possible for those without a DVLA licence to ‘operate’ a car.

While in the US some states declare it’s not illegal to fall asleep at the wheel of a car on autopilot, things are different in the UK. Drivers must be awake and alert at the wheel, ready to takeover if things ever go wrong.

There’s still lots of testing to be done on UK roads, and that means millions more miles to go before these
systems are proven to work. Until then, cars need a driver, and there are still limitations to this technology that
experts are trying to find ways around. For one, the radar system in these cars can be obscured by bad weather such as snow and heavy rain. That’s why a majority of the testing has taken place in hot and dry places like Arizona and California.

The same radar system can keep up with regular traffic, but can’t quite react quickly enough deal with objects that suddenly appear on the road. Consider if the car is driving at speed and suddenly the car in front changes lanes to avoid an obstacle. Or perhaps someone suddenly walks into the road without warning.

These problems have already contributed to accidents on the road. Last year in March, a self-driving car owned by taxi operator Uber struck and killed a pedestrian during a real-world test. It’s reported to be the first pedestrian fatality involving a self-driving vehicle.

In 2016 in the US, a Tesla car in self-drive mode collided with a white lorry that was turning into its path. The sensors were unable to tell it apart from clouds in the sky, and judged the highway to be clear. It’s clear a lot of work still needs to be done before the age of self-driving cars that take you to your destination door to door.
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Although the automated technology in cars has advanced at a rapid rate, it will be some years before these vehicles are in place and affordable by the general public. This technology could lead to a future where the barrier between having active epilepsy and driving can be safely removed.

Richard Seymour, spokesman at Toyota says: “Fully self-driving vehicles that can operate at all times and in all situations will take time and careful, collaborative efforts to overcome safety and performance challenges. In the next several years, we expect to see Level 4 vehicles, where the automated driving technology can operate in specific areas under specified conditions.”