Advantages and disadvantages of automation in transport

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A driverless train runs all night on a fixed track. Which is an advantage linked to this scenario?

A It can always judge unexpected hazards better than a human

B It never gets tired, so there are fewer accidents caused by tiredness

2. A driverless car's sensors are covered in thick mud. Which is the best drawback to link to this scenario?

A Steady speed: the car will always drive too slowly

B Sensor failure risk: the car may not detect other vehicles or pedestrians

3. Automated traffic signals keep a steady flow of cars through a busy town. Which statement weighs this well?

A Fewer driver errors at junctions, but hacking could cause the signals to be changed

B Signals never fail, so there are no disadvantages to consider

4. A bus company replaces all its drivers with driverless buses. Which is a disadvantage linked to this scenario?

A Driver job losses because the buses no longer need people to drive them

B Fewer accidents from tiredness because the buses do not need rest

5. A driverless car is on a motorway and a mattress falls off a lorry in front of it. Which risk does this show?

A Unexpected hazards: the system may not know how to react to something it was not programmed for

B Driver errors: the car has made a mistake because the driver was tired

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Driverless train: no tiredness		AA disadvantage: if a sensor breaks or is blocked, the car may not detect a hazard and could crash.
2Sensor fails on a driverless car		BWrong: automated cars cannot always judge unexpected hazards, such as a person running into the road or an unusual obstacle, as well as a human can.
3An advantage linked to the scenario: an automated train holds a steady speed, so journeys are smoother and more consistent		CWrong: driverless trains and cars can replace drivers, so jobs such as train drivers and taxi drivers may be lost.
4A disadvantage linked to the scenario: a hacker could take control of automated traffic signals and cause accidents		DTrain speed = steady
5Driverless cars can handle every unexpected hazard		ESignals hacked = crash risk
6Automation in transport creates no job losses		FAn advantage: a computer-controlled train does not get tired, so it avoids accidents caused by driver fatigue on long shifts.

Definitions

weigh benefits and drawbacks

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

IF sensorOK = _____ THEN OUTPUT "Stop the train" ENDIF

WHILE routeClear = TRUE speed ← __________ ENDWHILE

IF hazard = TRUE THEN OUTPUT "Driver takes control" _____

IF ___ secureLink THEN OUTPUT "Possible hacking" ENDIF

drivers ← 20 drivers ← drivers _ 5 OUTPUT drivers

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A IF obstacle = TRUE THEN

B brake ← ON

C speed ← 80

D ENDIF

Question 2

A FOR day ← 1 UNTIL 7

B train_runs ← TRUE

C NEXT day

Question 3

A tired ← FALSE

B IF tired = TRUE

C OUTPUT 'Risk of accident'

D ENDIF

Question 4

A DECLARE speed INTEGER

B speed ← 50

C OUTPUT 'Steady speed ', speed

Question 5

A signal ← 'GREEN'

B IF fault TRUE THEN

C signal ← 'RED'

D ENDIF

Answer Key

Advantages and disadvantages of automation in transport

Section A: Quick Questions

B — It never gets tired, so there are fewer accidents caused by tiredness

B — Sensor failure risk: the car may not detect other vehicles or pedestrians

A — Fewer driver errors at junctions, but hacking could cause the signals to be changed

A — Driver job losses because the buses no longer need people to drive them

A — Unexpected hazards: the system may not know how to react to something it was not programmed for

Section B: Match the Pairs

Driverless train: no tiredness → An advantage: a computer-controlled train does not get tired, so it avoids accidents caused by driver fatigue on long shifts.

Sensor fails on a driverless car → A disadvantage: if a sensor breaks or is blocked, the car may not detect a hazard and could crash.

An advantage linked to the scenario: an automated train holds a steady speed, so journeys are smoother and more consistent → Train speed = steady

A disadvantage linked to the scenario: a hacker could take control of automated traffic signals and cause accidents → Signals hacked = crash risk

Driverless cars can handle every unexpected hazard → Wrong: automated cars cannot always judge unexpected hazards, such as a person running into the road or an unusual obstacle, as well as a human can.

Automation in transport creates no job losses → Wrong: driverless trains and cars can replace drivers, so jobs such as train drivers and taxi drivers may be lost.

Section C: Definitions

weigh benefits and drawbacks — Compare what automated vehicles and signals gain (fewer driver errors, steady speed, no tiredness) with risks (sensor failure, hacking, job losses), linking each point to the scenario.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

IF sensorOK = FALSE THEN
   OUTPUT "Stop the train"
ENDIF

WHILE routeClear = TRUE
   speed ← speedLimit
ENDWHILE

IF hazard = TRUE THEN
   OUTPUT "Driver takes control"
ENDIF

IF NOT secureLink THEN
   OUTPUT "Possible hacking"
ENDIF

drivers ← 20
drivers ← drivers - 5
OUTPUT drivers

Section E: Spot the Error

C — When the sensor detects an obstacle, the driverless train must stop. The speed should be set to 0, not 80.

A — A FOR loop uses the keyword TO to set the end value. It should be FOR day ← 1 TO 7. This models a driverless train that runs every day without getting tired.

B — The IF statement is missing THEN. It should be IF tired = TRUE THEN. A human driver who is tired is a risk, while an automated vehicle never gets tired.

A — A DECLARE statement needs a colon between the variable name and its data type. It should be DECLARE speed : INTEGER. The program then holds a steady speed.

B — The condition is missing the = comparison operator. It should be IF fault = TRUE THEN. A faulty automated signal should fail safe by showing red.