Why I won’t use self driving in a car with a steering wheel

• How long before your hands start twitching?
• Level 3 is even worse
• Cars without steering wheels

Self-driving is like being airborne in a plane. You’re either flying, or you’re still on the runway — there’s no in-between. And that’s why I wouldn’t trust self-driving tech in a car that still has a steering wheel. You’re either all in, or you’re not.

There are six levels of autonomous driving, from 0 to 5. Waymo is at Level 4, which means it can drive without human input — but only within geofenced areas and under specific conditions. You can’t grab a Waymo in San Francisco and take it to Phoenix. You’ll crash.

Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving are both classified as Level 2, though some pundits argue that FSD is approaching Level 3. At Level 3, the car can handle all driving tasks under certain conditions, allowing you to read a book or watch a movie — but you still need to be ready to take control when prompted. Several carmakers claim to offer Level 3 tech, but none of it is currently legal on US roads.

I am all for genuine, full self-driving cars, because it will make our roads safer. Fifty percent of drivers are just plain bad at driving, thirty percent would be okay if they were not looking at their phones while drinking coffee, ten percent have unresolved anger issues, and the last ten percent you seldom see.

How long before your hands start twitching?

Muscle memory and urge to control

I use Tesla as an example, but only because it has over-hyped self-driving, and because there are now several high-profile legal actions against it for this. Besides the California DMV case and the class action suit now kicking off, the $243 million jury verdict against Tesla in Florida takes me to the point of this rant.

A guy was driving his Model S on Autopilot in Florida in 2019 when he bent down to pick up his phone, which had fallen to the floor. While he was distracted, the car ran a stop sign and hit two people on the side of the road — killing one and severely injuring the other. Tesla is appealing the verdict, but my issue with Level 2 self-driving isn’t just that accident — it’s the expectation that you’re supposed to keep your eyes on the road and be ready to take over at any moment.

So you have to sit there with your hands on your knees while the world goes by. How long will you continue to pay attention and be ready to take over in an instant? Or how long before muscle memory kicks in, and you cannot fight the urge to grab the wheel and steer the bloody car yourself? I’ll give myself 15 minutes before I start checking my phone, or three minutes before I grab the wheel myself. And that is only at Level 2.

Level 3 is even worse

Better tech leads to overconfidence

Level 3, when it becomes mainstream, will let the car do far more of the work, like overtaking slower vehicles and the like. But, and here is the kicker: you still have to pay attention and be ready to take over. Up to now, self-driving lawsuits have mainly been settled out of court, meaning the case was dismissed, or the defending party paid out.

There are stories of a side-on semi-truck being misread as a distant overpass, or sensors getting tripped up by the flashing lights of emergency vehicles on the shoulder. Accidents happen in an instant — a moment of inattention or confusion is all it takes.

Because Level 3 driving is so much better, we’ll trust it more — and that trust means we’ll get distracted faster. Level 3 tech can give you 10,000 hours of perfect driving, but all it takes is one failure to cause a crash. And that failure could come in the first minute, after 500 hours, or maybe never.

This is probably as good, or bad, as the average driver’s score. But are you ready to leave the odds to technology, not quite there yet? I am not.

Cars without steering wheels

A statement of confidence

These are the self-driving cars I am looking for. Cars with technology so good, they don’t need steering wheels. Waymo used to have them when the cars were modified from existing models, but no longer.

But Waymo is Level 4, which means it can only operate in strictly defined areas. It will have incredibly detailed maps of their designated areas, and excellent sensors to spot bad drivers, pedestrians, and stray dogs. Even with this, Waymo’s cars are strictly limited in their speed, and will be grounded during bad weather such as snow or heavy fog that may confuse their sensors. They can still get confused by unexpected stuff on their route, like roadworks or new traffic signs, but given their low speed limits and comprehensive sensing technology, I will get in a Waymo and get on my device.

Level 5 — I have seen the future, and it still needs work

Level 5 is the gold standard of self-driving, and we are still a long way off this. It means a car that can drive itself in any place, over any new terrain, even off-road, without any input from the driver. You will not need a steering wheel or any driving controls. Hell, you won’t even need a windshield — use that space for a super-big infotainment screen instead.

While you are at it, get rid of the front-facing seats and replace them with a couple of comfortable couches. That is, if you’ll still even own a car. I think future cars will be super-efficient ride-hailing, where you tap a map on your phone, a car glides in to take you to your destination while you relax or do some work.

If and when we get to Level 5, where carmakers can confidently build a car you cannot control even if you want to, I will gladly get in. Until then, I will keep my hands firmly on the wheel.