The concept of self-driving cars replacing conventional cars has been beena trending discussion but the implementation of this has been varying dueto safety reasons. However, many believe that automated cars will bringabout more safety and efficiency as drivers are extremely concerned aboutdamaging their vehicles along the way.

It seems that Changan, a company based in China, is aiming to solve thisdilemma by being the first company to introduce self-driving cars toPakistan. The company recently opened a plant in Karachi and has aproduction capacity of 50,000 units. This is primarily a strategic exportbase for drivers who opt for right-hand drive.

Currently, the company is testing its respective vehicles’ self-parkingability and much more. According to the Marketing & Sales Director of thecompany, Mr. Shabbiruddin, the biggest challenge in the introduction isthat Pakistan’s roads do not include proper lanes for navigation. Moreover,the roads of China and Pakistan have a huge difference which is why Changanis focusing on testing its cars in Pakistan.

However, in regards to this challenge the Director stated the following:*“It will tell the driver that the driver has to take over steering becauseof a lack of lanes. It needs lanes on roads to assess the right direction.”*

Moreover, this new technology is said to be more efficient and safe asautonomous driving ensures more safety under low-visibility conditions suchas fog and rain. According to a report by Bloomberg, this technology couldprevent numerous deaths and accidents globally.

Shabbiruddin further emphasized the importance of autonomous driving bymentioning the fact that the response time to apply brakes in self-drivingcars is quicker in comparison to brakes applied by humans. However, hefurther added:*“At the moment, it is legally binding for a driver to in the driving seat.Above a certain speed limit, for instance, 40km/h, a driver must keep theirhands on the steering otherwise the car will begin warning.”*

In a nutshell, even if you have a car that can self-drive it does not meandrivers can simply leave the steering wheel and expect the car to doeverything on its own as these advancements are to enhance safety but arenot on the verge of completely replacing human drivers.

In regards to this, Mr. Shakaib Khan an auto sector analyst stated thefollowing:*“This will be an advancement to such features. But autonomous Level 3doesn’t mean the car can drive by itself. It would help with driverlessparking, keeping your eyes off the windscreen while in traffic jams.However, it will not mean that you sit in your car at the office and itwill drop you home and park by itself. A driver should always be at thewheel.”*

Currently, Chagan has sold over 20 million vehicles worldwide and is aboutto launch the pick-up vehicles M10 and M9. The concept of self-driving carsin Pakistan does sound incredible, however, on a personal note, thelongevity and sustainability of such vehicles will depend upon the user,traffic, and the affordability of the vehicle for the average driver.