IZAZOVI AUTONOMNE VOŽNJE / CHALLENGES OF AUTONOMOUS DRIVING

Abstract

Mobility and transport play a key role for all segments of society, as they enable accessibility, economic development and a better quality of life. Despite numerous impacts for users, mobility also causes challenges that include traffic accidents with fatalities and injuries, harmful gas emissions, air and water pollution, traffic congestion and biodiversity loss. The process of digitalization has become an indispensable driver of the modernization of the entire transport system, making it more reliable and efficient. The intensive use of automation further increases road safety, the protection of human lives, reliability and comfort in the provision of related mobility services. Autonomous driving represents one of the most important technological transformations of modern road transport. Autonomous and highly automated vehicles are expected to contribute to reducing the number of traffic accidents, increasing the efficiency of the transport system, better accessibility and the development of new business models such as robotaxi services. However, the development and implementation of autonomous driving faces a number of technical, safety, legal, ethical, infrastructural and social challenges. This paper examines the key barriers to the development of autonomous vehicles, compares the approaches of leading manufacturers to development, and presents quantitative key indicators and performances of autonomous vehicles. Special attention is paid to comparing the strategies of individual autonomous vehicle manufacturers, with a critical assessment of which approach is optimal and realistic for the European traffic and regulatory space.