While Electric Vehicles (E.Vs) continue to gain popularity, hands-free driving technology remains one of the most exciting and interesting technologies of E.Vs. The convenience, safety features, and a glimpse into the future with these autonomous vehicles have made electric vehicles a growing competitor in the automobile industry.
Some reasons why drivers may consider owning an electric vehicle as well as utilizing the hands-free driving options include:
• Reducing driver fatigue during long journeys and heavy traffics which are especially tiring. The hands-free option gives the driver the opportunity to relax when they feel fatigue during travels or extended trips. An Example of this feature is seen in the Tesla auto pilot system which enables drivers to let go of the wheel during highway cruising making drives seamless and less taxing.
• Safety enhancement features like the adaptive cruise control lane keeping assistance which helps automobiles stay on track during their travels as well as collision avoidance features that help prevent accidents. An example of these safety enhancement features is the Cadillac super cruise safe highway driving which monitors the driver’s attention and intervenes if needed.
• Hands free driving systems maintain traffic efficiency on a safe following distance and handle acceleration and breaking in a stop and go traffic. An example of this system is the Ford blue cruise feature that allows for hands-free driving on highways that have no traffic signals or intersections.
• Driving assistant features in electric vehicles, promotes eco-friendly driving by ensuring consistent speed and smooth acceleration, which improves efficiency, and benefits the environment. An example of this feature is the BMW, driving assistant plus which optimizes electric range by maintaining steady speed.
However, electric vehicles are not without disadvantages and are challenged by some of the following:
· The cost of running a Full Self Driving (FSD) system in electric vehicles can be exorbitant.
· Autonomous vehicles (which often use E.V technology) rely heavily on GPS systems for navigation. However, GPS data can sometimes be inaccurate or fail, leading to potential navigation issues which can leave drivers stranded until the navigation issue is fixed.
· There are safety concerns with hands-free devices. Some hands-free systems like level two hands-free systems still requires some of the driver’s attention and the driver must be ready to take control if necessary to help avoid accidents in the event of technology failures. An example of where this system has failed is the Ford Blue Cruise failure involving a Ford Mustang Mach-E, in San Antonio, Texas. Where the Mach-E struck the rear of a stationary Honda CRV on Highway 10 and the CRV driver tragically lost their life. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations initial report indicates that the Mach-E had partial automation engaged during the crash. The Ford blue Cruise is classified as a level two autonomous system, which means that the driver is still responsible for the vehicle’s actions and must be ready to take control if necessary.
In conclusion, these self-driving technologies make driving somewhat easier and travelling more relaxing. However, human attention and consciousness should not be on rest mode during travels and the driver should be ready to take control of the vehicle at any time because it is not uncommon for these systems to encounter bugs, glitches or fails.
