FYI: The Six Levels of Autonomous Driving
WORDS BY ANTONINA JOSON
When we think of driving, we automatically assume that it’ s all about putting two hands on a wheel and your feet on the gas or brake. This notion is about to drastically change in the near future with the integration of hands-free or autonomous driving systems in vehicles worldwide.
The aim of autonomous isn’ t to rid the driver of any control or responsibility. It’ s all about making roads safer with the help of AI and telematics that make vehicles more responsive and intelligent, able to adapt to incoming obstacles or danger. Eventually, smarter cars will be the norm worldwide and standard features will naturally evolve with time.
It’ s important to understand that autonomous driving isn’ t limited to just hands-on or handsfree. There are actually 6 levels of autonomous driving to familiarise ourselves with before engaging with these advanced vehicles.
Ready to learn? Let’ s get into it!
Level 0: No Driving Automation
This is a level we’ re all familiar with. Almost all vehicles on the road today are still level 0, meaning they have no driving automation installed whatsoever. These vehicles are manually controlled by the driver and may also have additional safety features installed, such as Electronic Stability Control( ESC) or Emergency Brake Assist( AEB). Still, all steering braking, and acceleration is done by the driver.
In short, the driver is in complete control of the vehicle and is responsible for its movements.
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