{"id":20153,"date":"2017-06-20T09:10:14","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T13:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=20153"},"modified":"2024-07-02T16:36:20","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T16:36:20","slug":"disruptive-driving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=20153","title":{"rendered":"Disruptive Driving"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What will our world (and our health) look like when we no longer drive our cars? (Illustration by Corina Cudebec, Endeavors)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over 30,000 Americans die in car accidents every year \u2014 94 percent of those fatalities are caused by human error. Around the world, approximately 1.2 million people lose their lives in car crashes each year.<\/p>\n

While organizations like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration<\/a> and the World Health Organization<\/a> calculate these grim statistics annually, they don\u2019t account for all<\/em> car accidents. \u201cKeep in mind those are just fatalities,\u201d says Travis Crayton, a master\u2019s student at UNC. \u201cThat number doesn\u2019t account for all the hardship and healthcare costs included in crashes where people don\u2019t die.\u201d<\/p>\n

What if we could eliminate all car accidents caused by human error? That is one of the main arguments made by proponents of autonomous vehicles \u2014 safety. Our country, and the world, is on the cusp of a revolution in transportation technology and infrastructure. While industries are focused on perfecting the technology, and consumers are skeptical about trusting it, researchers face a blank page \u2014 there is no pre-existing data.<\/p>\n

But that didn\u2019t stop Travis Crayton from pursuing it. He went to Benjamin Mason Meier in the Department of Public Policy. \u201cHe was interested in what automated cars would mean for the shape of our cities in the future, and I was interested in what this would mean for public health,\u201d Meier says. \u201cThere were no articles out there really thinking about the health impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wrangling a disruptive technology<\/strong><\/p>\n

The link between public health and transportation dates back hundreds of years \u2014 to when a horse and buggy was the dominant mode of transit. \u201cPublic health and planning have always been really closely linked,\u201d Crayton says. \u201cHorse manure in cities impacted public health in a really negative way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transitioning to the automobile changed everything. \u201cWhen we first moved from horse to car, we had to think about transportation issues that didn\u2019t exist before,\u201d Meier says. \u201cWe got rid of manure on the street \u2014 but suddenly we had to deal with more accidents.\u201d<\/p>\n

We consider a new technology to be \u201cdisruptive\u201d when it changes the way everything happens \u2014 airplanes, the Internet, and smartphones are just a few examples. Disruptive technologies often upend existing regulations and can render current infrastructure obsolete \u2014 consider pay phones in a world where everyone has a phone in their pocket.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat makes automated transportation really disruptive is taking humans out of the equation,\u201d Meier says. \u201cWe\u2019ve always had to do it ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much of the debate about the pros and cons of driverless cars comes down to control. Humans are reluctant to relinquish control of their vehicles \u2014 how could a computer possibly cope with the nuances of an icy road or avoid a pedestrian stepping into traffic?<\/p>\n

These kinds of \u201cwhat if\u201d questions often accompany developments in transportation technology. \u201cBack in the \u201870s some people thought that mandatory seat belt laws<\/a> would make people drive more recklessly,\u201d Meier says. \u201cBut now, seat belts are a normal part of riding in a car.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meier and Crayton want to ask the questions that will help frame policies that will be most beneficial to public health.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting the right policies and regulations and considering health impacts from the beginning is going to help create a transportation system and infrastructure that can really support health,\u201d Crayton says. \u201cWe\u2019re hoping to raise the point that we should think about that and integrate those perspectives from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connecting to the cars of tomorrow \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the idea of a self-driving car still seems a bit too futuristic for many, thousands of people are already driving cars with fully automated features.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hear a lot about \u2018connected\u2019 cars now \u2014 a lot of companies are using that kind of language,\u201d Crayton says. \u201cSo there are elements of this technology already on the market\u2014people are using it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many car companies have developed their own systems for automated features, like Acura\u2019s Collision Mitigation Braking System or a Lincoln MKZ with Active Park Assist, which can parallel park itself.<\/p>\n

But these features are just a glimmer of what the future holds. \u201cWhat we\u2019re talking about is moving to a fully automated system where there is no need for human input,\u201d Crayton says.<\/p>\n

The long term vision is a fully automated transportation grid where all elements of the infrastructure are able to communicate with each other, potentially eliminating two of the worst components of driving \u2014 traffic and accidents.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people say you might not even need traffic lights if you have a fully automated grid,\u201d Crayton says.<\/p>\n

A world without traffic. How would that change our cities? How would that change us<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Shaping routines<\/strong><\/p>\n

Consider this scenario: what if you could work in a major downtown area and live in the suburbs without losing several hours a week to commuting? With an automated transportation grid, not only would your commute be shorter and safer, you could do all the things you\u2019re not supposed to do while driving \u2014 make phone calls, send texts, check e-mails, read, or even sleep. Such an easy (perhaps even luxurious) commute to work might create more incentive for people to live further away.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you make transportation that\u2019s automated and really easy then all of a sudden traveling a hundred miles in a day doesn\u2019t seem so bad,\u201d Crayton says. \u201cAnd it\u2019s really convenient \u2014 you can work in the car. That might incentivize certain behaviors that aren\u2019t good for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Encouraging individuals to walk or bike to work \u2014 activities that improve cardiovascular health and reduce the rates of obesity \u2014 is a major public health initiative across the country. But the convenience of automated vehicles might result in people walking even less than they do now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people start using their cars more than they already do, that could increase cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diseases caused from lack of exercise and movement,\u201d Crayton says.<\/p>\n

Creating a new system \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

At this point, it\u2019s still unclear which technologies will prevail in this new transportation world, creating uncertainty about environmental impacts. \u201cWill these be electric vehicles that don\u2019t produce emissions?\u201d Crayton asks. If so, that could greatly decrease the carbon footprint generated by millions of cars.<\/p>\n

But if these new cars aren\u2019t environmentally friendly, the introduction of these vehicles could exacerbate some of our most pressing issues related to environmental health.<\/p>\n

While the development of driverless cars is driven by consumers and profit motive, the technology has sweeping implications for health well beyond the intended market, according to Meier.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink about Sub-Saharan Africa,\u201d he says. \u201cIt has an abundance of land and huge infrastructure challenges. Maybe that could be an area where we build roads exclusively for automated vehicles?\u201d<\/p>\n

In many rural, remote areas of the world, lack of transportation impedes economic development. What could driverless cars do for economies (and public health) in those places?<\/p>\n

Across the world, from mail carriers to truckers to taxi cab drivers, millions of people hold a job that requires driving a traditional vehicle. Gainful employment is an important determinant for health, according to literature Meier and Crayton cite in their paper. What happens to the health of our population when we no longer need drivers?<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom an economic perspective, people should be concerned about that,\u201d Meier says. \u201cWhat happens to all the people who occupy these jobs? It\u2019s really important to figure out how to adapt to a new system.\u201d<\/p>\n

Extending life and well-being\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

While this new system may sound like bad news for those currently employed in the transportation industry, it could open whole new worlds for people who can\u2019t drive. Research that Meier and Crayton cite shows that getting out of the house extends your life and your well-being. Autonomous vehicles could provide a whole new level of independence and autonomy for the disabled and the elderly.<\/p>\n

But that won\u2019t happen automatically. \u201cWe have to make sure that autonomous vehicles are rolled out in a way that gives freedom to aging and disabled populations,\u201d Meier says. \u201cTo do that, we need people who understand the relationship between technology and mobility-limited populations.\u201d<\/p>\n

How easy is it to use? Is it an app on your phone, or a button on a key chain? Is the technology conducive to people who have vision or hearing impairments? Do local governments subsidize these programs? \u00a0\u00a0\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad<\/p>\n

And what about the national government? Where are they in all of this?<\/p>\n

Anticipating the future <\/strong><\/p>\n

In September 2016, the National Highway Safety Administration published the Federal Automated Vehicles Policy, a major policy guidance on autonomous vehicles and one of the first government documents of its kind.<\/p>\n

Last year, 20 states introduced legislation related to regulating autonomous vehicles. So far in 2017, 33 states have introduced legislation. California is leading the charge, allowing driverless cars on state highways this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One obvious concern for public health in the short term is the transition \u2014 having traditional, cars and fully automated vehicles on the road at the same time could increase fatalities. \u201cYou will see these different types of technologies trying to interact and there\u2019s a chance for adverse impacts there,\u201d Crayton says. Both he and Meier believe the future of transportation will take the shape of a fully automated system.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will come a time when people are not allowed to drive their cars any more,\u201d Meier says. \u201cIt got to that point 100 years ago when someone riding a horse on a highway put everyone at greater risk \u2014 so they outlawed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meier and Crayton are also quick to point out that this paper is not a comprehensive report. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible to fully conceptualize what all this will mean for the world,\u201d Meier says. \u201cFully understanding it will require many more people working over a much longer period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s a good start. Outlining the many links between the introduction of autonomous vehicles and the potential impacts on public health is crucial.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what research has always done \u2014 anticipate the innovations of the future so we can have evidence based policies,\u201d Meier says. \u201cWithout that, we have the potential for huge unintended consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Travis Crayton is a dual-degree master\u2019s student in the UNC School of Government and the Department of City and Regional Planning in the College of Arts & Sciences.<\/em><\/p>\n

Benjamin\u00a0Mason Meier is an associate professor of global\u00a0health policy and the Zachary Taylor Smith Distinguished\u00a0Professor of Public Policy in the College of Arts & Sciences.<\/em><\/p>\n

Their research\u00a0appears in the Journal of Transport and Health.<\/em><\/p>\n

Story by Mary Lide Parker, Endeavors magazine<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What if we could eliminate all car accidents caused by human error? That is one of the main arguments made by proponents of autonomous vehicles \u2014 safety. Our country, and the world, is on the cusp of a revolution in transportation technology and infrastructure. While industries are focused on perfecting the technology, and consumers are skeptical about trusting it, researchers face a blank page \u2014 there is no pre-existing 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