As competition among car-making firms developing driverless Cars of the future heats up, top industry players have stepped up information campaigns to address safety issues and concerns. Waymo, the self-Driving car division of Google parent company Alphabet, launched its public education campaign to underscore that driverless cars are not only safe but life-transforming.
A clear response to surveys, discussions and incidents that draw attention to safety issues presented by driverless cars, Waymo’s information campaign got off to a strong start in Arizona, where the firm has been testing its driverless car systems.
To date, many people in the US and other parts of the world are still stumped or unconvinced that self-driving cars are truly safe.
It may have helped that some US states, like California, have played host to driverless taxis. A few driverless cars have been deployed as a sort of beta-test for a broader range of self-driving taxis in a private gated community in California.
Partnerships with tech startups
Self-driving vehicles, as their proponents have cited, will be relying on ultra-precise GPS (general positioning system) data and modern cameras. Partnerships between tech firms and automotive companies have been moving forward swiftly the past several months. General Motors, for instance, just acquired California-based Strobe, a deal that gives the automaker in-house engineering expertise specifically with lidar sensors, light detection systems that will help cars veer away from obstacles on the road.
Tesla has collaborated with several tech companies in a bid to further advance its automated car projects. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been brandishing the powerful new safety features of the company’s new range of vehicles. The entry of self-driving vehicles in the market is foreseen to sharply lower more than 1.25 million road accident victims each year.
Constant information dissemination
Part of Waymo’s Integrated marketing campaign that highlights relevant facts and pieces of advice are digital, outdoor and traditional forms of advertising. Also underway are special events with rides that will let people get a feel of driverless car technology.
Indeed, immensely helping car makers bring automated vehicles to market are dynamic start-up firms with expertise and experience in self-driving technologies.
The high-performance product technologies incorporated in Waymo’s cars, along with the complex scenarios or challenging driving situations that tomorrow’s driverless vehicles face have also been presented by Google’s self-driving car division in its website and leading social media sites.
