For those who steer clear of driving on the ‘other side of the street’. Spanish driverless cars are the answer or are they?
Ask my own ‘Louisa Hamilton’ here, who won’t let me drive her anywhere, and she’ll tell you she’d be safer in a driverless car!
And the Frenchman too who took the wheel of his Fiat Cinquecento from me in a Cannes car park would agree.
None of which is good for the confidence and had me fretting for a Florida Keys road trip.
Pulled at the last minute when Donald Trump closed the borders from Covid and saved Floridian motorists from my driving.
Of course, the unstoppable advance of humanoids replacing home sapiens is already offering us a get-out.
But is everything billed as helping us always good for us.
As with anything physical and/or technical we’re happy to leave the heavy lifting to others.
In this case Truely eSIM, who have put together this handy pros and cons guide for us to digest driverless cars in Spain, but we guess it could apply anywhere.
Pro-driverless cars
Now my own ‘woman behind the wheel’ being the daughter of a cartographer has been known to pick fights with Siri.
But seeing I can lose myself in a telephone box (ask your parents what they are) I trust her, Siri that is, with my life.
So I should probably love seamless navigation and accessibility.
With advanced GPS so tourists can traverse the narrow roads of rural Spain or the bustling city streets of Barcelona.
And it’s claimed that they’re safer with sensors and AI anticipating and reacting to hazards faster than flesh and blood human-types.
Another tick would be that many of these driverless cars are electric and so minimise carbon footprint.
Is it all a big con?
Like anything that impersonates the human condition it might strip away the charm and personalisation and enjoyment of driving.
And also the intimacy of making friends with your guide with driverless cars inevitably threatening their livelihoods…
And I can’t imagine AI replicating our amigo and Coimbra’s most famous son Jose Madomis, who revealed Secret Portugal, to us.
While AI is not without its technology failures.
Nathan Mercer, a connectivity solutions expert at Truely eSIM has gone all Joni Mitchell on us with this one.
He sees life from both sides now.
He said: “Adopting self-driving cars in tourism should augment the visitor experience, not replace the elements that make each destination unique.
“For instance, incorporating AVs for longer scenic routes while maintaining local guides for city tours could offer a synergistic solution.”
And so they recommend…
Smart Integration Tips
Hybrid Tour Models: Combining self-driving technology for transport with local guides for in-depth exploration could offer the best of both worlds.
Emergency Protocols: Ensuring these vehicles are equipped with manual override features and robust support systems to handle unexpected situations.
Cultural Sensitivity and Customisation: Programming AVs to include cultural education, possibly through interactive screens or audio guides, that give contextual information about sites and traditions.
So, Spanish driverless cars are the answer or are they? We’ll leave you to decide.
MEET YOU ON THE ROAD