DO NOT WRITE IN THIS AREA Part 6 You are doing a project on transport in the future. Read the text below and write a summary for your teacher. Driverless Cars Cars are increasingly becoming more automated. Transport experts predict a future where people will travel in driverless pods and only take over driving when something goes wrong. They claim for every 10,000 errors made by drivers, just one error will be made by a computer. Therefore, the new technology could save hundreds of lives a year. Improving individual circumstances Experts predict that within 15 years, the performance of cars could be altered to fit the driver. Learners or teenagers who have recently passed their tests may have their speed limited automatically. However, more experienced drivers getting in the same car would be able to travel much faster. Elderly individuals who are not able to drive a car often rely on public transportation, which can be difficult depending on their circumstances. With driverless vehicles, many more people could enjoy the benefits of enhanced mobility. In addition, experts believe that it will allow more people to retire to the countryside because they will have better transport links into towns. Monitoring software Cars of the future will monitor the alertness of the drivers and communicate with each other to avoid collisions. Vehicles will also be able to communicate with each other about traffic, weather and road conditions and warn the drivers about potential safety hazards. In the future, systems could automatically take over braking or steering if they sense an imminent accident. Advanced sensors within the vehicle could also monitor a driver's heart rate, eye movements and brain activity to detect issues, such as drowsiness. Impact on traffic Engineers say the vehicles would not only make roads safer, but could also increase their capacity by allowing cars to operate closer together without crashing. Automated cars could also travel in platoons linked up to traffic light systems to keep them moving and avoid congestion. Car clubs, where a group of people share a car, are expected to become more popular, with few people owning their own vehicles; taxis are likely to become redundant. Ongoing issues Driverless cars may lead to motorists losing skills that they might need to rely on in an emergency. It is not uncommon for drivers to get distracted and tired and with automation you are giving the driver even less to do and the risk is that they will feel more tired. There are concerns around how to regain a driver's attention and whether drivers will lose their driving skills. A The amount of software and technology that is required to build a driverless vehicle is likely to be quite expensive, meaning these costs need to be covered by high sales prices. Consumers may not want to pay such high costs for a driverless car and may prefer to stick to the current system. In addition, if driverless vehicles rely on sensors placed all around the car to assess conditions and navigate traffic, what happens if one or more sensors get damaged?


In your summary you must: give three advantages for drivers of driverless cars state two concerns about driverless cars give your predictions about how cars and the way they are driven will change in the future. You will be awarded up to 5 marks for using relevant information from the text. You must write between 100 and 150 words only. You must use your own words where possible. (25)​