Autonomous driving, skipping L4?

Accident scene map

Now, many car companies, in order to gain more attention, will exaggerate the equipped autonomous driving functions when promoting the vehicle's autonomous driving function, giving consumers the wrong psychological hints and creating the illusion that the era of autonomous driving has arrived. Even though some car companies have explained in their publicity that the driver needs to observe the road conditions in time when using the autonomous driving function, more people use the autonomous driving function with a try-it attitude. After using the autonomous driving function many times, they have enough trust in the immature autonomous driving, and thus forget the warning to observe the road conditions at any time, resulting in the inability to control the vehicle in time when danger occurs, causing accidents. For this phenomenon, skipping L4, or even L3, is a feasible solution.

The skipping here does not mean not to study L3 and L4 autonomous driving directly, but not to commercialize L3 and L4 autonomous driving, which only appears when the main car manufacturers conduct experiments. The research on autonomous driving must be a gradual process, and the transition period of L3 and L4 is indispensable, but L3 and L4 autonomous driving is not mature, and in L3 and L4 autonomous driving, the driver still needs to bear part of the driving behavior and still plays a very important role. However, when the driver enters the vehicle and turns on L3 and L4 autonomous driving, there will be a cognitive bias, that is, the vehicle can already achieve autonomous driving, and the possibility of an accident is very small, so there will be enough trust in the autonomous driving system and no longer complete the task of monitoring road conditions. This is a very dangerous behavior.

Many car companies now remind drivers to pay attention to road conditions at all times when promoting autonomous driving functions. However, when conducting advertising, they may potentially weaken this reminder and instead focus on introducing the advanced nature of the autonomous driving function. Even if they inform car owners that the autonomous driving function has not yet reached L5 level autonomous driving and that drivers are required to pay attention to road conditions at all times, there are still many people who are in a free state when using the autonomous driving function, and there is no guarantee that all car users can use the autonomous driving function as required at any time. Preventing L3 and L4 level autonomous driving from entering commercialization may effectively prevent consumers from mistakenly using immature autonomous driving functions.

Autonomous driving is the trend of automobile development. Everyone is hopeful and looking forward to the arrival of the era of fully autonomous driving. However, the development of technology matures gradually, and the same is true for autonomous driving. In the transitional stage when autonomous driving is not yet mature, commercializing it is undoubtedly planting a bomb that may bring danger at any time.

Whether L3 and L4 autonomous driving can be commercialized is also a question that needs to be discussed. The development of autonomous driving also requires sufficient data testing. It is difficult to meet the data requirements by relying solely on the main car manufacturers' own testing. As cars transform from means of transportation to entertainment hardware devices, consumers are more willing to try new technologies, which will also bring certain benefits to the main car manufacturers, thereby conducting subsequent technological research and development. The installation of new technologies can also effectively promote the soft power of the main car manufacturers' technologies. Domestic new car manufacturers are also more willing to install new technologies on cars. This is why the main car manufacturers are now eager to commercialize new technologies.

Autonomous driving technology is different from other black technologies. Autonomous driving is related to everyone's travel safety. If something goes wrong, it may affect more than just one person. As a major car manufacturer, the research and development and commercialization of autonomous driving need to be more cautious. Only when it is safe enough can it be put into commercial use, and when promoting it, consumers should be informed of relevant precautions in a timely manner. As a consumer, when using the current autonomous driving function, you also need to keep in mind the usage recommendations when buying a car, pay attention to road conditions at all times, and stay vigilant. It's okay to try new things, but don't be greedy.