General Motors, one of the leading automakers, is aiming to educate and reassure the public about the progress of self-driving vehicles. While the idea of cars that can navigate roads by themselves may seem futuristic to some, General Motors wants to ensure that everyone understands the advancements being made in this field.
The company’s President, Mark Reuss, emphasized the importance of a safe approach to self-driving deployment in a social media post. General Motors’ goal is to eliminate human driver error and reduce crashes to zero. Reuss believes that by incorporating hardware and software, self-driving vehicles can provide a safer alternative to human drivers who may behave recklessly behind the wheel.
General Motors has gained significant expertise in the autonomous vehicle industry through its ownership of Cruise, a robotaxi entity with driverless cars operating in various US cities. The company is also involved with other partners in other countries who are working towards the same goal. With access to actual self-driving vehicles and valuable data, some argue that General Motors possesses more expertise than Tesla, which is known for its push towards Full Self-Driving Beta.
Despite the progress in self-driving technology, recent studies and protests in San Francisco have highlighted that not everyone is eager to embrace the idea of cars driving themselves. AAA conducted a survey revealing that 68% of respondents expressed fear towards self-driving vehicles. This sentiment reflects the need for automakers to prioritize building public trust and knowledge surrounding emerging vehicle technology.
It is understandable that people may hesitate to fully embrace self-driving cars, considering the reports of unfinished and costly software being tested on public roads, as well as the increasing number of road fatalities. There is a growing skepticism towards relying on robots in a task traditionally performed by humans.
To address these concerns and promote understanding, General Motors has launched an education program called Hands Free, Eyes On. Through this initiative, the automaker will share relevant content on its social media channels and website. The upcoming posts will aim to help people differentiate between driver-assistance technologies and complete autonomy, fostering a better understanding of self-driving vehicles.
Scott Miller, GM’s Vice President, emphasizes the company’s commitment to deploying these technologies safely and wants customers to feel assured in their efforts. However, it is important to note that General Motors does not consider its upcoming technology, Ultra Cruise, as a Level 4 or 5 autonomous driving system according to the SAE J3016 standard. Instead, the evolved Super Cruise will be classified as a Level 2 Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS), where the driver remains responsible for the vehicle and must assume control when necessary.
In summary, General Motors recognizes the importance of educating the public about self-driving technology and aims to build trust in these advancements. Through their education program, they aim to clarify the distinction between driver-assistance and complete autonomy. By providing valuable content and promoting understanding, General Motors hopes to address concerns and change public perception of self-driving vehicles.
