The Evolving Automobile

The day in which cars can drive themselves has arrived and Brett Berk believes Californians should embrace it. More specifically, he believes autonomous cars are vital for the senior population. In his editorial entitled “Self driving cars could keep seniors in the driver’s seat,” Berk discusses the advantages of this new and emerging technology. Autonomous cars have been introduced only within the last decade but their development has continuously advanced. The most current models are near perfection and will soon be on the roads. Berk is a strong supporter of the driver-less car, claiming that the new technology will greatly benefit older Americans. Through the use of several rhetorical devices Berk is able to successfully persuade the reader into believing so as well. He primarily implements the use of pathos to emotionally engage the reader and persuade her that driver-less cars would greatly benefit the elderly. Through the use of statistical and factual evidence, Berk is also able to implement logos to support his argument. Finally, Berk’s background, not often mentioned in the text, allows him to draw attention away from his lack of professional experience and ensure that his personal experience dominates his argument.
Berk allows the reader to sympathize with the article through his selective choice in words. Beginning with the subheading, he describes this new technology as a “blessing”. Whereas he could have described driver-less cars in a neutral manner – using the term helpful or useful for example – Berk intentionally uses a more positively connoted word instead. Doing so allows the reader to sympathize with the author on not only an emotional level, but on a spiritual one as well. The former is achieved by depicting...

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.... His legitimacy on the topic may not be solid, and so for this reason Berk focuses on prior arguments to state his point. Berk goes on to push for a call to action. He writes that the arrival of fully autonomous cars is “imminent” and describes the process through which these cars must go to get on California roads. Still, the process has begun and so it is only a matter of time before they are fully accessible. He insists that the reader’s support would not only expedite their arrival but also ensure that reasonable laws be placed in their regard. These cars will soon be in the driveways of thousands, maybe one day millions, of Americans and Berk successfully convinces the reader that that is where they should be.

Works Cited

Berk, Brett. “Self driving cars could keep seniors in the driver’s seat.” L.A. Times. Los
Angeles Times. 6 Apr. 2014. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.