Imagine a world where our future commutes are spent napping, scrolling through socials, or sipping coffee without a care in the world. While it may be a tad too surreal for most of us, rest-assured it's coming. Let's take a look at where we stand, who’s leading the charge, and what we can expect in the coming years.
Are driverless cars already on the road?
In some places, yes! Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the testing grounds for fully autonomous vehicles. Companies like Waymo (Google’s self-driving division) already run fleets of driverless taxis, but as one Phoenix police officer recently found out, they’re not quite perfect yet. A Waymo car was pulled over for mistakenly entering oncoming traffic and then “freaking out” when the police lights came on, running a red light before stopping in a parking lot. The officer was left scratching his head—who do you even issue a ticket to when there’s no driver?
Where does Australia stand?
Australia isn’t quite there yet, but we’re making progress. Right now, fully self-driving cars aren’t legal for public road use but testing is underway. South Australia was the first state to allow autonomous vehicle trials in 2016, followed by New South Wales and Victoria.
That said, most cars on Aussie roads are still sitting at Level 2 autonomy—meaning they can assist with steering and braking, but a driver needs to be paying attention at all times. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) package isn’t legally recognised here, so even the flashiest top-of-the-range Tesla still needs someone behind the wheel.
Who’s winning the race?
The big names in self-driving tech are Tesla, Waymo, and traditional car manufacturers like Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. Waymo is leading in terms of fully driverless taxis, while advanced driver-assist features being developed by Tesla, are pushing boundaries (but still require human oversight). Closer to home, companies like Rio Tinto are using autonomous trucks in mining operations in Western Australia—so while we may not have robot taxis just yet, we do have self-driving dump trucks hauling loads through the Outback.
The pros and cons of a driverless future
So, should we be excited or worried about self-driving cars taking over our roads?
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The Good:
• Fewer Accidents: AI doesn’t get tired, distracted or drive under the influence.
• Less Congestion: Smarter driving patterns could ease traffic jams.
• More Freedom: Elderly and disabled Australians could gain greater mobility.
• Better Urban Planning: No need for as many car parks if cars can drop you off and keep moving.
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The Not-So-Good:
• Tech Glitches: As Waymo’s recent police run-in has shown, autonomous cars can still make some pretty big mistakes.
Job Disruptions: Truck drivers, taxi drivers and delivery workers may see their roles change.
Legal Grey Areas: Who’s responsible when something goes wrong? Australia is still figuring this out.
Cybersecurity Risks: If your car is connected to the internet, could it be hacked?
So, when can we expect driverless cars in Australia?
We’re still years away from seeing fully autonomous cars cruising our city streets. The tech is improving fast but Australia’s legal framework and road infrastructure need to catch up. The most likely scenario? A slow rollout of Level 3 autonomous vehicles (where the car can handle most driving but still needs a human on standby) before we go full hands-off.
For now, we’ll have to keep our hands on the wheel—but the day we can sit back and let the car do the work is getting closer. When it does happen, just make sure your self-driving car doesn’t “freak out” when it sees the cops!