The car of the future is, or at least should be, not faster or more powerful, but trivially safer for those who drive and for those who cross the road.
Manufacturers are studying technologies that allow to prevent the increase of road accidents. And indeed there is more and more talk of smarter and more autonomous vehicles.
“The goal of our research is to create safer cars that drive better than humans,” explains Brian Lyons, new technology expert at Toyota. “We have realized that customers are hungry for automated machines,” assures Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan.
At the opening of the Tokyo Auto Show, the Japanese manufacturers presented the state of the art of research in the sector. Manufacturers, like Google, which invests heavily in this technology, equip their vehicles with radars, communication systems and lasers that are able to anticipate the movements of other cars and drivers. Some of these options are already integrated into top-of-the-range vehicles (at least the anti-collision systems).
"These autonomous cars can avoid fatal accidents, but also offer a new driving opportunity for the elderly or disabled, reduce traffic on the streets and lower fuel consumption", summarizes - in its latest study - the American institute Eno Center for Transportation .
Ghosn has promised an "autonomous" Nissan by 2020. But some experts are not so optimistic: the technological and above all bureaucratic barriers are many.. No country has yet adopted a regulation of these vehicles. And even the insurance companies are asking themselves some questions about the impact of this novelty in their legal framework. “In the event of an accident, who is responsible: the driver or the manufacturer?” many ask.
