Mercedes allows drivers not to hold the steering wheel while driving (1 photo)

The German automaker took a risky step. The updated highway auto cruise Drive Pilot freed up the drivers' limbs and made driving more dynamic, but it is unlikely to increase safety.



Declared as a "conditionally automated driving" system, Drive Pilot in the activated state increased the maximum permitted speed to 95 km/h, and allowed drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel and feet off the pedals.

It is stipulated that for Drive Pilot level 3 to work, acceptable road conditions with legible markings, clear weather and optimal lighting are required. If one or more of these conditions are not met, Drive Pilot will not start.

In turn, neighbors in traffic will be warned that the car is being driven by an autopilot, by means of turquoise lights on the headlights, taillights and side mirrors. But for now, this procedure is in the approval stage in government agencies. And it is only allowed to let go of the steering wheel in two US states: California and Nevada.

The happy owners of brand new Mercedes-Benz will now eat and preen, look at their smartphones and, most likely, even sleep on the way. The suddenly opened up possibilities are already being demonstrated to consumers through social networks.

Mercedes-Benz sees the progressive Drive Pilot as a step towards full-fledged robocars. However, such developers of autonomous driving systems as Waymo and Cruise consider Level 3 semi-autonomous autopilots to contain significant potential risks due to their imperfections (which, by the way, traffic safety experts have repeatedly warned about) and strive to move straight to the next, Level 4, when a person is completely removed from the process of driving a vehicle.