Nobody behind the wheel
The current private transport system has many shortcomings. Cars produce pollution, generate CO2 and emit other greenhouse gases. In urban environments, roads take up a large chunk of land area, sprawl is an issue and congestion is common. Road accidents are a tragic problem, with about 1100 fatalities per year in Australia, and around 350 in New Zealand. Globally, road deaths are about 1.35 million annually.
All of these issues are in line to be affected by a potential future shift towards driverless vehicles (also known as selfdriving vehicles or autonomous vehicles), and while some changes are likely to be for the better, others might not. In a broader context, they are an important part of the planned shift towards a hightech future under the “internet of things” (IoT) and are often considered in parallel with the current shift away from internal combustion cars to electric.
Driverless vehicles are often classed according to different levels of autonomy, ranging from Level 1 (where control is largely in the hands of the driver, but is also shared with some automated functions) to Level 5 (where no human is needed at all).
A 2019 survey carried out by KPMG International investigated 25 countries and ranked them according to looked at consumer acceptance, infrastructure, technology and innovation, and policy and legislation.
