Japan is ramping up efforts to make autonomous cars commonplace across the country. Like the rest of the world, Japan is interested in autonomous cars for the safety and convenience offered; however, they’re also becoming a necessity for another entirely unique reason: the country’s rapidly aging population.
“In the cargo and transport sectors, drivers have become older and the shortage of human resources has become serious,” a new METI report states. The report also highlights “terrible traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers making operational errors”.
Tech innovations
Japan is developing machine learning and IoT sensors complete with revolutionary hardware to get autonomous cars on the road faster and accommodate the elderly population. Honda, in particular, has launched a Level 3 autonomous system in a limited number of vehicles. With Level 3, the car is responsible for driving decisions, however a driver needs to take over in emergency situations. Similarly, Toyota intends to launch e-Palette autonomous buses on select roads in its new smart city at the base of Mount Fuji.
Prioritizing safety
Car accidents are the prime cause of death in people between 5-29 years old and the eighth leading cause of death worldwide. Additionally, 95% of all traffic accidents are also the result of human error. As such, autonomous cars promise a viable way of preventing car accidents.
However, the technology still isn’t quite there yet. Last year in China, for example, Tesla recalled around 285,000 of its autonomous sedans due to cruise-control function hazards. While some car accidents can be fairly minor, others may result in serious injury and expense.
After a collision, it’s important for individuals involved to contact a car accident lawyer to help them understand their legal options. An experienced lawyer can help clients receive fair compensation for losses and damages, FVF Law explains.
Social acceptance
Although the tech is developing rapidly, autonomous cars lack widespread social acceptance. “Very few people have experience with autonomous driving. Without having experience, I think it’s very hard to accept it because it’s too new” says Kazuhiro Doi, Global VP at Nissan. Nissan is also currently testing autonomous Easy Ride taxis in Yokohama outside Tokyo.
“When we provide a test ride for customers, everybody is surprised… It’s better than what they expected,” Doi said. “And that kind of experience needs to be accumulated.”
Although autonomous vehicle technology hasn’t yet been perfected, great strides are being made in that direction. It won’t be long before autonomous cars will be able to promise total safety for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike.
