Is a 20% Reduction in Road Fatalities Good Enough?

We’re all familiar with the promises of autonomous vehicles (AVs): safer roads, fewer accidents, and a future where technology drives us towards a dream land of zero fatalities. But here’s the truth—what if that dream land is further away than we think? What if, instead of eliminating road deaths, AI in autonomous vehicles only manages to reduce them by 20%? Is that good enough? Should we be content with a marginal improvement when lives are still at risk?

Any Reduction is a Step in the Right Direction

Personally, I believe that any reduction in road fatalities is a win. Think about it—if we could prevent even a fraction of the 40,000 road deaths that happen every year in the US alone, that’s thousands of lives saved. Lives that would have been tragically cut short.

Sure, there will always be starting problems. No technology, especially something as advanced as AI in autonomous vehicles, is going to be perfect out of the gate. But if we’re reducing fatalities, even by 20%, we’re on a good path. It’s progress, and progress is rarely perfect.

Teething Problems Are Part of Progress

It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that we should hold out for the perfect solution—a future where road fatalities are entirely eliminated. And while that’s certainly the goal, we can’t dismiss the importance of incremental improvements. A 20% reduction is a significant start. It’s a sign that the technology is doing something right, even if there’s still work to be done.

What’s critical here is not just the reduction itself but what it represents: the beginning of a larger transformation. We’re talking about a shift from human-driven vehicles, where errors are inevitable, to a future where AI could drastically minimise those errors.

The Bigger Picture: How Far Can We Go?

Of course, there’s more to this conversation. How do we ensure that the benefits of this reduction are felt by all road users, including the most vulnerable? How do we avoid complacency, ensuring that this 20% is just the beginning, not the end goal?

These are the kinds of questions that were discussed in an episode of Conversations in the Park. They explored the ethical considerations, the challenges, and the potential of AI in autonomous vehicles.

Let's not forget, we talk about numbers all the time, but these numbers represent real human beings, with families and loved ones.

So, is a 20% reduction good enough? For me, it’s a solid start, it is making a difference to the human beings that make up these numbers. It’s proof that we’re moving in the right direction, even if the journey is far from over. We’re tackling a huge problem - making our roads safer - and any step forward is worth recognising.

But I’d love to hear what you think. Are you satisfied with incremental progress, or should we be pushing for more? If you’re interested in exploring these questions further, I highly recommend checking out the full discussion the Conversations in the Park episode. It offers a range of perspectives that might just change the way you think about this issue.