For many years, people have dreamed about the ability to get in their car, tell it where to go, and just sit back and enjoy the ride. We as a society are closer to this becoming a reality now more than ever before. However, there is one main question surrounding this next potential advancement in technology: Are Self-Driving Cars Safe For Society? There are many different reasons to both support and oppose the production of self-driving cars. Many arguments that are against the production of self-driving cars include: they will be too expensive, the potential for technology to go wrong, the potential for greater air pollution, and the potential loss of privacy. There are also many arguments that support the production of self-driving cars. These include: the lack of human error, ease of road congestion, ease of parking, the potential for new car designs in the future, and the potential for more powerful vehicles.
I personally believe that the supporting arguments far outweigh the opposing ones, and I think that the production of self-driving cars will only benefit society. I believe this because 94 percent of all car accidents are a result of human error, and self-driving cars will allow us to travel without the fear of accidents or the mistakes of other drivers. Benefits of Self-Driving Cars In today’s society, it seems like nearly every day there is some new technology that is taking the world by storm. We have witnessed the rise of smartphones, smart-home systems, and now we are seeing the rise of self-driving cars. The idea of a self-driving car has been around for years. However, thanks to modern advances in satellites and GPS navigation, it is no longer just a futuristic idea. There are many companies that have made significant steps in the production of self-driving cars, but companies like Tesla and Mercedes-Benz already manufacture and sell cars that come with “rudimentary autonomous driving software” (Prince). There are also many car manufacturers that offer advanced safety systems with automatic braking and steering. This being said, it is important to note that it is technically not yet legal for car manufacturers to sell outright “self-driving cars,” but the technology is already being developed and being sold as an option for those willing to purchase it. However, the main question is Are Self-Driving Cars Safe for Society? Personally, I not only believe that they are in fact safe for society but they also have many benefits that are not present with a human at the wheel. These benefits include: self-driving cars involve nearly zero error, the ease of congestion on the road, the ease of parking, and the potential for more powerful vehicles.
One of the benefits of self-driving cars is that they involve nearly zero error. In fact, in a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it was discovered that 94 percent of accidents on the road were caused by human error compared to only two percent caused by the environment and the other two percent caused by the vehicle. This being said, the issue of car accidents could be greatly reduced if the task of driving could become automated. The new autonomous driving software being produced by different automobile manufacturers is an incredibly complex program that allows the computer on board the vehicle to make hundreds of calculations per second to ensure the safety of the passengers. These calculations include: how far away the vehicle is from objects, the current speed of the vehicle, the behavior of other cars, and the vehicle’s location via GPS. Thanks to all of these accurate calculations, the risk of an accident is nearly eliminated and it is definitely safer than if a human were at the wheel.
Another benefit of self-driving cars is that they could greatly reduce congestion on the roads. As previously mentioned, self-driving cars involve nearly zero error which means nearly zero accidents. The reduction of car accidents would reduce congestion on the road considerably. Also, self-driving cars are able to communicate with each other. According to Will Knight, MIT Technology Review’s Senior Editor for Artificial Intelligence, “the car-to-car communication would eliminate the need for traffic signals.” He also states that most people think that if we could move faster on the roads, then congestion would be reduced. However, he claims that by every car driving at the same average rate of speed, and being able to react nearly instantly to each other, then the flow of traffic will be at its best (Knight). This is easy to see compared to the sometimes slowed reaction time of humans, which can then lead to hostility on the road, which can in turn increase the overall danger of other drivers.
Another benefit of self-driving cars is that they could ease the task of parking. Because self-driving cars do not require a driver, it is believed that they could alleviate parking concerns in highly populated areas. According to Robert Duffer from the Chicago Tribune, the automaker company Valeo has developed a program called Park4U. The program was originally introduced as a park-assist that would steer the wheel while the driver still had control over the pedals. However, the company has plans to release a more “high-end technology package” called Valet Park4U. Valeo plans for Valet Park4U to make it where a driver can drop themselves off at a location, tap a button on their smartphone, and watch the vehicle go and find a parking spot. Valeo also claims that users can track the movement of the vehicle on a smartphone and know when the maneuver has been completed. Users will also have the ability to view all of the different camera angles, and see what the vehicle is reacting to all from a smartphone. Another popular theory is that if the self-driving cars were unable to find a parking spot, then they could just continue to circle the block until the driver was ready to leave. As previously mentioned, this would not affect congestion because the cars can communicate with each other.
Each day that we wake up, it seems like there is always some sort of new technology being invented that is sure to make our lives better. Whether it be the smartphones that we carry in our pockets or the smart-home systems that we talk to. Eventually, we can include our self-driving cars in this list as well. Self-driving cars have never been closer to a reality than they are right now, and nearly every car company is eager to perfect the technology. However, this has not come without one main concern: Are Self-Driving Cars Safe? As previously mentioned, I not only believe that they are safe but they also provide other benefits that we cannot ensure for ourselves when we are behind the wheel. Whether it be the very low likelihood of an accident, the ease of congestion on the roads, or the ease of parking. Self-driving cars are able to provide all of these benefits and many more to ensure both the safety of the vehicle’s passengers and everyone else.
