Split-second decisions: Navigating the fine line between man and machine

Today's self-driving car isn't exactly autonomous – the driver has to be able to take over in a pinch, and therein lies the roadblock researchers are trying to overcome. Automated cars are hurtling towards us at breakneck speed, with all-electric Teslas already running limited autopilot systems on roads worldwide and Google trialling its own autonomous pod cars. However, before we can reply to emails while being driven to work, we have to have a foolproof way to determine when drivers can safely take control and when it should be left to the car. 'Even in a limited number of tests, we have found that humans are not always performing as required,' explained Dr Riender Happee, from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, who is coordinating the EU-funded HFAuto project to examine the problem and potential solutions. 'We are close to concluding that the technology always has to be ready to resolve the situation if the driver doesn't take back control.'