Looking to the future and the swift development of autonomous vehicles, it’s conceivable that within 50 years we’ll all be travelling in auto-piloted cars. But while the proposition is exciting, as with anything conceptual there still remain a few kinks to work out. We’ve weighed up the two sides of the argument when it comes to self-driving cars.
THE CASE FOR
Fewer accidents
A study completed by the Eno Centre for Transportation found that if ten percent of cars were self-driving, as many as 211,000 accidents would be prevented annually.
It is believed that the sensory technology used inside autonomous vehicles is more sophisticated at perceiving its environment than the human eye.
Freedom for the less mobile
The traditional driving model excludes those with physical difficulties, such as disabled people and the elderly, who as a result must depend on potentially unreliable public transport, costly taxis or lifts from friends and family.
Autonomous vehicles could revolutionise the lives of people who have previously been unable to travel independently, allowing them to get themselves around without relying on others.
Police time better spent
A huge amount of police time is taken up with handling motoring offences, thereby reducing police capacity to deal with other, often much more serious, crimes.
By eliminating the hours that law enforcement officials spend writing speeding tickets, for example, more of their time will be freed up to address bigger problems.
THE CASE AGAINST
The ethical dilemmas
The recent tragedy in Phoenix, where a civilian was killed by a self-driving car, underlined a vital question – if there is an accident involving an autonomous vehicle, who takes responsibility?
The car maker? The person behind the wheel? The developer? It’s an ethical question and one that still hasn’t been answered.
The risks
A computer malfunction, even just a minor glitch, could cause mass hysteria, whether it be in the form of crashes or cars not starting.
Especially with the rise of malicious hacking, should any information end up in the wrong individual’s hands, millions of lives could be at risk.
The cost
Unfortunately, while much of the technology is conceptual, the cost of implementing the necessary autonomous vehicle software is very pricey.
It’s estimated that installing the software, sensors, power and computer requirements adds up to more than $100,000.
With compelling arguments on both sides, where do you stand on self-driving vehicles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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