Autonomous vehicles: challenges, opportunities, and future implications for transportation policies

From Digital Culture & Society

Asadi, Mohsen. Asadi Bagolee, Saeed. Oliver, Tracey. Tavana, Madjid. (2016). Autonomous vehicles: challenges, opportunities, and future implications for transportation policies. Journal of Modern Transportation, 24(4), 284-303.

Find article online:

DOI: 10.1007/s40534-016-0117-3

Contents 1 Context 2 Overview 3 Strengths and Weaknesses 4 Assessment

[edit] Context

The advancement of autonomous vehicles (AV) offers new opportunities through financial and temporal means. This article reviews the technological specifications of AVs and overviews challenges that are brought upon AVs such as machine ethics and safety. Eleven advantages and disadvantages of AVs are discussed to describe the positives and negatives of AVs in their practical use (Asadi p. 287). As an emerging technology that is predicted to shift the realm of automobiles in the future, the understanding of AVs is analyzed to provide an understanding of how this technology will be of relevance for everyday drivers.

[edit] Overview

This article discusses how AV technology can pave the way for the future, but brings to light the multitude of challenges and consequences caused by the usage of AV technology. In order to support their claims, the authors of this article have created a conceptual method based on AVs that predicts where AVs will be in the future and a statistical model for the calculated efficiency of AVs within relation with traffic (Asadi 291). With statistical analysis and formulas, the authors equate how AVs will react when sharing roads with non autonomous vehicles and the interconnectedness of AVs within response of one another. The study used data already established from the joint efforts by universities and manufacturers. By formulating the data, the authors were able to examine which traffic pattern is the most desirable when it comes to AVs (Asadi p. 293). The results of the study concluded that the System Optimal traffic pattern was the most desirable as the total travel time spent within this traffic network was minimized.

[edit] Strengths and Weaknesses

The first strength of this article is how the authors describe the importance of AVs. There are various points made where the authors suggest how AVs diminish traffic congestion and more suitable economically than traditional vehicles. Alongside these points there is added benefit of safety for AVs due to the technology available, ninety percent of vehicular accidents are deemed to be human error (Asadi 288). That being said, the authors are not biased when it comes towards their interest in AVs as they also point out complications and sociological implications towards AVs if they were to ever become the norm. Not only are the positives and negatives listed in the article, the authors also go over a brief explanation as to how AVs work, this is done by giving a quick history of AVs and the levels of automation AVs can exhibit (Asadi 287).

The second strength is how the authors have done their own study to determine the benefits when it comes to how AVs will respond with traffic. Extensive data analysis has been performed by the authors to showcase their reasonings and beliefs as to how AVs will affect traffic. This methodology provides proof in the claims that the authors are making, which is how AVs are an advantage to society. Although that being said, even though the statistical analysis is a strength of this article, it can also be deemed as a weakness. This is due to how if the reader is not knowledgeable about the notation being used, they will not be able to comprehend the study being performed by the authors. The authors explain the variables and results from their formulas, but if the reader is not familiar with the notation then they could become lost and be taking in information at word value.

The main weakness of the article is the balance of positives and negatives of AVs. For the most part the authors are discussing the positives of AVs, they could've taken this stance because they don't believe that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Although with that in mind it can make the argument of the authors appear biased as they already write in a stance that is in favor for AVs. In the section where eleven advantages and disadvantages are discussed, they can all be deemed to be advantages of AVs. The disadvantages are instead listed in an appendix after the conclusion of the article as if they are hidden or deemed not important. This in itself makes the article appear to have an agenda about showcasing why AVs are a great technology.

[edit] Assessment

In conclusion, the article addresses how AVs will readily impact the world of vehicles through economical and safety features provided by AVs. Using their methodology, the authors dictated the most beneficial traffic patterns that would coincide with usage of AVs, thus expressing how AVs will impact traffic positively. AVs are deemed to impact society in terms of crash savings, travel time reduction, fuel efficiency, and parking benefits. That being said, the authors also express concerns and challenges of the integration of AVs, showcasing how the technology is still in its infancy. Overall, this article provides knowledge as to how AVs would integrate into society today.

---

--Bl14hl 21:04, 19 March 2019 (EDT)