Forum. In 2017, 3 456 French have lost their lives in a car accident. They were 16 545 in 1972. This division by five in thirty years has been made possible by the combined efforts of public authorities and automotive manufacturers. Better infrastructure, a policy of effective prevention, more stringent legislation and modernization of automobiles have greatly contributed to this decline. We are now at a level that it is difficult to achieve in the state ; there must therefore be a radical break to get there.
In fact, 90 % of road accidents are due to human error : the speed would be responsible for one in three fatal accidents, and the alcohol of one in four. Certainly, measures have been taken to reduce the speed (the famous 80 km/h on the roads to two-way since 1 July) or to reduce the rate blood alcohol concentration of motorists.
But the autonomous vehicle appears as a real opportunity to reduce the number of accidents on the roads. According to Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault-Nissan, the autonomous car, should help save 1 million lives per year in the world.
Our vehicles are currently making enormous progress, and we can already delegate a number of tasks of driving, such as making a niche, regulate our speed or stay between the white lines.
100 % self-sustaining by 2020
But the empowerment of the vehicles will not stop here : the first vehicles to be 100 % self-reliant are announced for 2020, and things could accelerate ! Of course, these advanced techniques will have to be accompanied by ethical and societal : who will be responsible in case of accident ? The owner of the vehicle ? The publisher of the software conduct ? The pavement poorly maintained ? The company in charge of the maintenance of the car ?
The challenge is therefore to replace our eyes and ears by…