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In a consumerist society that constantly looks for the “next best thing,” companies in all industries push to update their products. Telephones have evolved into smartphones. Computers that could take up an entire desk have evolved into slim laptops. Traditional gaming systems have evolved into virtual reality. This evolution of products is positive for the economy and consumers, but when does the evolution of products become negative? For decades, the idea of the flying car or self-driving car has captivated drivers. At this point in time, however, the dangers that self-driving cars present outweigh the ease of not having to drive the car yourself. The technology to eliminate all dangers that self-driving cars pose
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Many cars can sense if it is creeping over the centerline of a road or if the driver is backing up too far and may hit something. These systems are beneficial and provide extra safety precautions. They don’t, however, allow the driver to sit back and relax while the car drives itself. With these automotive systems and others, such as automatic braking, drivers are still forced to pay attention. These features, however, are not perfect. In a New York Times article written by Daniel Michaels and Andy Pasztor, they point out that there have been several accidents, including one fatal accident in Florida. As Michaels and Pasztor explain, these accidents have prompted aviation safety experts to question the safety of using the systems. Pilot Shawn Pruchnicki expressed concern over the belief that the public will be able to jump into a car and know the limitations of the automatic systems. If features such as automatic braking have not yet been perfected, it is too soon to allow the public to use cars that drive themselves. Mark Rosenker, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, also expressed this same concern in the New York Times article, saying that “We have to create perfection in the
Have you ever feared that your loved one or even someone very close to you will be involved in a fatal car accident every time they left the house? Drunk driving is a factor in nearly one-third of all fatal accidents. Even if you aren’t the one driving, you are still at risk any moment to get involved in an accident that could’ve been prevented. By legalizing fully self-driving cars, we won’t have to fear the pain of losing a loved one. We could have a quick fix to all of this madness easily. The number of traffic accidents are soaring at 1.3 million deaths a year. Drunk Driving is still one of the number one causes of vehicle deaths; therefore, the government should allow self-driving cars to become legal to combat the issue. If we don’t act now to combat this issue we will have to deal with the consequences it will bring.
The term autonomous refers to the capability of acting independently, or having the freedom to do so. A self-driving car is an autonomous car, which has the ability to sense its environment and navigating without any human operations. These types of cars are built to make safe and smart decisions on the road. In the past years, automobile companies have begun to introduce advanced driver assistance systems that are capable of parking, switching lanes, and braking in case of an emergency on their own, without the driver’s assistance. Automated vehicles are capable of maneuvering through street traffic, as well as other natural and man-made obstacles along the way. Therefore, this technology might completely change the methods of transportation.
Ever since the invention of the automobile, numerous efforts have been employed to try and improve its safety features. Judging by the current statistics, one could argue that driving has so far turned out to be a risky business. In actual fact, people of all ages and social status are considered to be in control of lethal weapons whenever they have to drive. According to the National Safety Council, it is estimated that more than 41,000 people lose their lives in road accidents annually and no less than 2 million more suffer from serious life threatening injuries (2009). Furthermore, it is estimated that at least 50% of the people killed in road accidents is as a result of their failure to adhere to safety measures such as wearing seatbelts while driving, driving under the influence, or careless driving (Ingalls, “Defensive Driving Strategies”). As an effect, huge losses occur with respect to life, injuries sustained, and damage to property.
Self-driving cars are now hitting a few roadways in America, and are showing people just a small glimpse into what could be the future of automobiles. Although Google’s self-driving cars are getting a lot of attention now, the idea of a self-driving car has been around for quite a while actually. These cars have been tested to their limits, but the American people have yet to adopt the technology into their everyday lives. A brief description of their history, how they work, and finally answer the question, will self-driving cars ever be adopted widely by the American public?
One reason driverless cars should replace human drivers is because they are safer and offer a comprehensive solution to a problem that plagues the entire world – automobile accidents. Currently, according to Ryan C. C. Chin, around 1.2 million deaths occur worldwide each year due to automotive accidents (1) and in the U.S. alone “more than 37,000 people died in car accidents in 2008, 90% of which died from human mistake” (Markoff 2). Most of these accidents involving human error are caused by fatigued, inattentive, or intoxicated drivers. However, according to Sergey Brin’s the Pros and...
Drunk driving, sleeping at the wheel, and loss of control of a vehicle could be a thing of the past when it comes to new innovations being made towards self-driving cars. When one thinks of a “self-driving” car, it means not having to pay attention to the actual driving and going about putting make-up on or playing on your phone while the car takes you where you want to go, sounds completely sci-fi, but it is likely to happen in the near future. With advances in technology, the car is able to use satellites, cameras, and sensors to take the driver where he or she needs to go. Many companies are researching, manufacturing, and testing different
Driverless cars are already starting to show signs of safer driving. In a test, drive exercise the driverless car demonstrated another vehicle cutting in front of the driverless car. While it was driving itself, still traveling at 100 km per hour the driverless car immediately braked to adjust its speed to maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle that cut in front and slightly moved the steering wheel to stay centre in the lane. It is said that in a situation such as this a human might have overreacted or shake the steering wheel which could of caused the car to steer into another vehicle or off the
As previously mentioned, sudden car accidents are caused by various factors ranging from mechanical problems to the behaviors of drivers and passengers. However, most of these accidents are completely preventable, especially those associated with the behaviors of drivers and passengers. These accidents are preventable because passengers can adopt measures that enhance their safety while travelling. On the other hand, they are also preventable because drivers can avoid fatigue and distractions that cause them. Actually, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administ...
Autopilot, the self-driving feature in the new Tesla car, is a controversial subject because it puts the car’s computer in control of all driving responsibilities. To activate this autonomous mode, all the driver has to do is push a button and the computer has full control of the vehicle. The sole responsibility of the driver is to pay close attention to the way the car brakes, steers, and accelerates, while in autopilot mode. Amazingly, there has only been one known fatality involving a Tesla vehicle while driving in autopilot. In an article written by Jordan Golson and published by The Verge, this first fatality in a Tesla vehicle driving in autopilot is covered with great detail.
Ninety percent of today’s car accidents are caused by bad developed driving habits. Of that ninety percent of accidents, they all could have been prevented. People usually do not realize that they even develop bad habits while driving until something happens. 3,500 deaths happen a day and the numbers are getting higher. Today, experts are using technology of many kinds to try to prevent these accidents and bad habits, but are not succeeding (Human error accounts for 90% of road accidents | Driver Risk Management Solutions | AlertDriving).
The technologies have improved a lot over the past decades. From smartphones to laptops, the technologies are limitless. There is a new vehicle technology called self-driving car which allows the car to pilot for you on the road. It works by making the vehicle operates itself without human control. According to Alan Amici, a vice president of automotive engineering at TE, “Recent NHTSA research shows that approximately 94 percent of accidents are caused by human error” (Gupton).
Companies like Google, Tesla and Nissan, among others, have announced over the past few years that their companies are trying to develop self-driving or autonomous cars [Ref. 1 and 2]. Self-driving cars can provide many benefits to the average consumer. Studies have shown that because computers can react and process information many times faster than a human being, crashes on streets and roads can be decreased with quick and consistent evasion maneuvers by the autonomous car. They can also help maximize fuel economy by calculating the most direct and fastest routes. When the driving of an autonomous car demonstrates that the computer can safely and reliably transport the passengers to their destination, this frees up the passengers to do other things that they would not normally be able to do if they were driving the car manually. For this reason, self-driving cars can help maximize productivity of their passengers.
Corporations fear that they could be faced with an excess of lawsuits if driverless cars go commercial before they are as safe as possible. While it is good that they focus on improving safety before release, how safe do they need to be? Up to 90% of accidents are due to or are partially caused by driver error (Smith). Schellekens’ article points out that “The standard ‘as safe as a human driven car’ could be made more precise in the following ways: The automated car should statistically be safer than human drivers, or the automated car should be safer than the best human driver.” Since driver error is so common, the first would be an improvement and could still save many lives just by preventing a few drunk or distracted driving accidents and statistically, some self-driving cars are already safer than the average driver.
Self-driving cars are the wave of the future. There is much debate regarding the impact a self-driving car will have on our society and economy. Some experts believe fully autonomous vehicles will be on the road in the next 5-10 years (Anderson). This means a vehicle will be able to drive on the road without a driver or any passengers. Like any groundbreaking technology, there is a fear of the unforeseen problems. Therefore, there will need to be extensive testing before anyone can feel safe with a vehicle of this style on the road. It will also take time for this type of technology to become financially accessible to the masses, but again alike any technology with time it should be possible. Once the safety concern has been fully addressed
Technology is evolving faster than ever these days, however there is one technology that could revolutionize the transportation industry. This technology is called autonomous cars, also known as self-driving cars. Autonomous cars can be defined as a vehicle that is capable of sensing its environment, and navigating without human input. Using different techniques such as GPS and radar, autonomous cars can detect surroundings, thus removing the human element in driving. This would have a positive effect in more ways than we could ever imagine. Research suggests that self-driving cars will become more abundant in the future because they will be more cost-effective, enhance safety, and decrease traffic congestion.