On 24 February 2026, the closing event of the research and development program of the National Laboratory for Autonomous Systems (NLAS) took place in Budapest, at the HUN-REN SZTAKI building on Kende Street. Following the official part of the event, autopro.hu had the opportunity to interview Dr. Péter Gáspár, head of the Systems and Control Research Laboratory at HUN-REN SZTAKI, which provided professional leadership for NLAS. The expert revealed the challenges that still lie ahead for the spread of self-driving cars, as well as the role that today's cars could play in the spread of autonomous vehicles.
- According to the professional community, autonomous vehicles could reduce the number of road accidents by 90 percent. What critical mass must autonomous vehicles reach in order to improve traffic safety?
- Improvements in safety depend not only on the rate at which autonomous vehicles spread on the roads, but also on how they communicate with each other. Just think of a busy intersection. Everyone wants to reach their destination as quickly as possible – autonomous transport can only work effectively if vehicles communicate with each other.
The first step, therefore, is to solve the related communication tasks. In addition, issues related to self-driving vehicles (e.g., legal issues) that fall within the remit of other professions must also be addressed.
When controlling networked autonomous vehicles, a number of considerations may arise, from efficiency to safety. I can confidently say that such a system clearly improves road safety, even if it is not yet widely used.
Around 90% of road accidents can be traced back to human error, so I believe that the number of accidents will be greatly reduced with the spread of autonomous vehicles. The European Union's "Vision Zero" strategic goal, which aims to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries in road accidents to zero by 2050, is probably too ambitious, partly because of the human factor (even if we are not driving the cars, we will still be present in traffic), and on the other hand, because there will certainly be errors in the initial phase of the system's development and implementation – there are countless situations that we cannot foresee in advance.
- What infrastructure is required for proper communication between vehicles?
- First and foremost, the necessary communication equipment and tools are required: on the one hand, there are the requirements on the part of road operators, since there is a need for infrastructure elements built into the roads. On the other hand, functions will be built into cars that will enable them to communicate with each other and their environment.
- The gradual spread of self-driving cars is conceivable in the long term. What challenges might the coexistence of autonomous and conventional vehicles pose?
- Autonomous vehicles are already on the roads, and their widespread adoption is only a matter of time. However, conventional cars will remain on the roads for a long time to come, and mixed traffic will continue for a long time. When self-driving and conventional vehicles share the road, a number of challenges arise due to differences in behavior and communication. Self-driving vehicles generally adhere strictly to traffic rules and drive cautiously, while human drivers can behave unpredictably or take risks, which can lead to misunderstandings and traffic disruptions. Communication gaps, such as the lack of eye contact or gestures, can further complicate interactions. Safety concerns, legal liability for accidents, and infrastructure limitations also pose challenges.
We have also addressed this issue within the framework of NLAS, for example in a highway environment. We have concluded that as the proportion of autonomous vehicles in mixed traffic increases, it will be possible to encourage even the most recalcitrant drivers to cooperate to a greater extent. Even at a rate of 10 percent, energy consumption in highway traffic can be significantly reduced, and, as I mentioned, traffic safety can also be significantly improved.
How far are we currently from autonomous vehicles becoming commonplace?
- From a technological point of view, we are in a good position, with more and more cars on the market that would be suitable for Level 4 autonomous driving. Robotaxis are already operating in several cities overseas, so autonomous driving is already a reality.
However, legal regulations are lagging behind and are not keeping up with technological trends. It is important for the legal and technical fields to cooperate in this regard; dialogue is needed.
The market has not yet developed sufficient demand, but I believe we are not far from it. There will be objective circumstances that will force the spread of autonomous vehicles: there will be too many cars on the roads, society will be aging, while the demand for mobility will continue to grow, and public transportation will not be suitable for everyone.
- Essentially, all autonomous vehicle projects are carried out with electric cars. Is electric drive absolutely necessary for self-driving?
- The drive-by-wire system is absolutely necessary for autonomous driving, the drive is optional, but most projects work with electric cars.
At the same time, to a certain extent, cars used today can also be incorporated into autonomous transport with retrofitted sensors. Of course, full self-driving cannot be achieved in this way, but communication between vehicles can. This means that some of the benefits of autonomous systems are also available to these cars.
-How much of a challenge is the presence of different transportation cultures when developing autonomous systems?
- In order to achieve the road safety improvements mentioned at the beginning of this conversation with autonomous vehicles, traffic regulations need to be changed. This is a legal challenge. Traffic regulations are the basis for feeling safe on the roads, and this legal system needs to be reformed to meet the requirements of autonomous driving.
Source (in Hungarian): https://autopro.hu/trend/ahogy-egyre-tobb-lesz-az-onvezeto-auto-ugy-les…