Could driverless cars be the key to safer roads?

New research from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland suggests that self-driving cars could play a major role in reducing crashes on New Zealand’s roads.

Dr Prakash Ranjitkar, an associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a member of the University’s Transportation Research Centre, is leading research into the potential impact of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on New Zealand’s transport system.

He’s drawn on data from AV trials in the US to examine what a similar rollout in New Zealand could look like. He suggests that since the vast majority of serious crashes are due to human error, taking the driver out of the equation could have significant safety benefits.

"Human error is a factor in 94 percent of serious crashes," he says.

"Driverless vehicles, especially shared ones like robo-taxis, could make our roads safer, ease traffic congestion, improve our transport systems and cut down on pollution."

In a US trial conducted by Waymo, autonomous vehicles were 85 percent less likely to be involved in injury-causing crashes than human drivers, though they weren’t immune to minor, low-speed incidents like sudden stops at intersections.

Even then, Ranjitkar says these incidents were far less likely to cause injury.

He suggests that policy measures should be developed to prevent AVs from replacing private cars for long-distance travel and instead ensure they complement public transport by filling the gaps buses and trains don’t reach.

"This concept is known as a ‘first-mile/last-mile’ solution and would reduce people’s reliance on private cars, particularly in Auckland which is already quite a car-dependent city, and encourage the use of public transport," says Ranjitkar.

"AVs can offer a flexible, affordable, equitable and scalable solution that bridges that gap, and when integrated with our urban mobility systems, it would provide on-demand convenience and improve the sustainability of our cities."

Some New Zealand companies are exploring self-driving vehicles with demonstrations showing how autonomous shuttles could fill service gaps in both urban and regional areas.

But for this technology to be scaled up across New Zealand, Ranjitkar says there’s a lot of work to do.

"We need to build the right infrastructure and develop clear regulations to support the implementation of this kind of technology," he says.

"We also need to earn public trust for a project like this and assess the most cost-effective deployment."

One element of this research is wireless charging, which could be stationary (at a bus stop or taxi stand) or even dynamic (charging while the vehicle drives). It would mean the vehicles are continuously operating without being taken out of service.

"Wireless charging is an innovative power source and a critical enabler for shared AV fleets, especially in urban environments where minimising downtime and maximising automation are essential," he says.