Garber Collision

The 6 Stages of Automotive Evolution

Self-driving vehicles ( aka autonomous or driverless cars) are not going to be a part of our daily lives any time soon. There aren't any 100% self-driving vehicles in this country except for a few experimental vehicles that are still in the testing stage.

According to the highly-regarded Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), there are six different stages of semi-autonomous and fully autonomous vehicles, numbered  0 to 5. Here they are from all of us at Garber Collision in Rochester, NY a shop that will gladly fix self-drivers when the time comes:

Level 0: 0% Automation

A Level 0 car isn’t a self-driving vehicle at all. It’s your standard, everyday vehicle with zero Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. This car, truck or SUV  lacks features such as an automatic emergency braking system and any type of adaptive cruise control. It’s a car that requires a human being to do all the driving.

Level 1: Partial Driver Assistance

A Level 1 self-driving car features an advanced driver assistance system that can assist a human driver in some cases with operating the automobile. For example, a Level 1 car can steer (via lane-keep assist) or brake/accelerate (via adaptive cruise control) for the car's driver, but it can't do both at the same time.

Level 2: Partial Autonomy

Level 2 of autonomy means that the vehicle features an advanced driver assistance system that can control steering and braking/accelerating at the same time under certain circumstances (specific weather conditions or on designated roads). However, Level 2 cars require the operator to maintain focus and pay attention at all times, operate other of the vehicle's functions, assist in mitigating any dangerous situations, and be ready to take control in the case of an emergency.

Level 3: Semi-Automation

A Level 3 vehicle can control every aspect of driving in some circumstances through several advanced driver assistance systems working in conjunction. While the car, SUV or truck does control all aspects of driving, a Level 3 self-driving car needs the driver to take back control when it's requested.

Level 4: High  % of Automation

A Level 4 self-driving car is similar to a Level 3 self-driving automobile, controlling all aspects of driving in select circumstances. However, a Level 4 vehicle doesn't require a human being to pay attention when the advanced driver assistance systems are operating the vehicle. A Level 4 vehicle can monitor the driving environment. Level 4 cars only work in certain circumstances.

Level 5: 100% All-Inclusive Automation

A Level 5, a self-driving vehicle is a vehicle that can control all driving tasks in all scenarios. Here, human occupants are never involved in driving the vehicle under any conditions. At this point, we're just the passengers.​

Garber Collision in Rochester, NY 14623 

Sources: Popular Mechanics and People and Parts