CAT Driver Training, a specialist in driver training for engineers, is launching an independent training course for CAV safety drivers. Incidents such as the fatal Uber accident, where the safety driver was found to be distracted, show the importance of good training.
The Autonomous Driver Training course has been developed by CAT’s chief instructor Colin Hoad, who has over 40 years’ engineering experience. He explained that “training a car how to drive itself is no mean feat – considerations go way beyond the basic functionality of controlling the vehicle. It is vital that the impressive technology and machine learning that educate autonomous systems do not overshadow the necessity for driverless cars to be developed using industry-level advanced driving expertise. For autonomy to truly revolutionize our transport infrastructure, self-driving cars need to not only meet, but surpass the standards of the everyday driver we encounter on our roads”.
Studies have shown how challenging it is for safety drivers to stay alert and respond quickly when potential hazards appear. The new course is aimed at AI specialists, engineers and safety drivers.
By Illya Verpraet