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Your commute to work might get a little easier. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers predicts that by 2040, 75 percent of cars on the road will be self-driving cars. Convenience is a benefit, but the driving force behind autonomous cars is safety—an estimated 90 percent of accidents are caused by human error.
The idea seems futuristic, but self-driving cars have been under development since the 1920s. Early models used radio controls and electronic roadways. However, today’s technology utilizes built-in sensors and computers for a hands-free ride.
While you can’t park a fully automated vehicle in your garage just yet—carmakers expect to release the first models by 2020—four features considered to be the building blocks of self-driving cars are available in today’s vehicles. Here’s what was on display at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit:
Adaptive cruise control. Traditional cruise control keeps your car moving at a constant speed, but adaptive cruise control also monitors the car ahead and maintains a safe distance and speed behind it. Several auto manufacturers offer adaptive cruise control, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Subaru’s system, called EyeSight, can fully brake the vehicle in case of stopped traffic.
Lane assist. Automakers are helping you stay in your lane by installing sensors that monitor your position between markers. Drift and you’ll hear a tone or feel a steering wheel pulse. Audi and Mercedes-Benz both offer active lane assist, which will also gently steer your car back into its lane. And Volvo recently introduced its Road Edge and Barrier Detection with Steer Assist, which doesn’t rely on lane markers and can detect if you’re too close to a barrier or the edge of the road.
Parking assist. Lexus made headlines when it introduced an option for driverless parallel parking in 2006. Since then, the technology has been adopted by other carmakers, including Toyota, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The newly redesigned 2015 Ford F-150 is the first pickup to feature parking assist. The company is looking to be a leader in this technology; its European division announced that it is developing technology that will maneuver cars into parallel, angled and perpendicular parking spots with the driver outside of the car.
Collision assist. Finally, your car may be able to help you avoid a crash. Sensors can detect cars, pedestrians and even animals that enter the car’s path, applying the brakes in response. The 2015 Chrysler 200 is one of the first economy cars to utilize this technology. Its Forward Collision Warning System alerts the driver when he or she is too close to another vehicle. If the driver doesn’t respond, the system will engage the brake.
Learn more about Self-Driving Cars
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more on vehicle-to-vehicle communications.
Via Accent by Chubb at http://accent.chubb.com/are-you-ready-self-driving-car.