Would having cars that drive themselves be a good or bad idea? 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 (footnote http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/18/autonomous-cars-are-closer-than-you-think/). This means a vehicle will be able to drive on the road without a driver or any passengers. Sooner than the autonomous vehicles hitting the road we are likely to see self driving cars with a “passenger” sitting in the driver seat. Many car makers are testing self parking vehicles, features for vehicles to automatically navigate through tight traffic and vehicles …show more content…
that can steer, break or accelerate in the current lane. Like any new technology there is a fear of the unforeseen problems. There will need to be a lot of testing and use before anyone can feel safe with a vehicle like this on the road. It will also take time for this type of technology to become financially accessible to the masses but again like any technology with time it should be possible. Once the safety concern has been fully addressed and the vehicles are affordable I believe having self driving cars will be a great idea. The state of Georgia has recognized an increased interest in the technology of autonomous vehicles. In 2014 the Georgia House of Representatives created the House Autonomous Vehicle Technology Study Committee to evaluate the issues facing autonomous vehicle technology. Many vehicles on the road today, although not fully autonomous, have many safety features of a self driving car. Some of these features include lane departure warnings, preemptive breaking and electronic stability control that recognizes loss of steering control and automatically applies the breaks. According to the House Autonomous Vehicle Technology Study Committee Report 2014 the state of Georgia reported 863 lives were saved with the electronic stability control feature in 2010 alone. It may take a long time for the technology to get to the point where self driving cars are safe. Human drivers have instincts that cannon be duplicated by technology but by that same token human error is not a part of a self driving car. We also have to take into consideration the transition period, when there are self driving cars as well as human drivers on the road. Humans can see the other driver, give a signal to go when at a four way stop sign or offer an opening to merge into the lane next to them. This is just a small example of what human interaction can do that self driving cars will have to figure out how to duplicate. After we as a society are able to adapt to self driving cars we will see many great benefits. There are many distracted or impaired drivers on the road which neither would be the case with a self driving car. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812101.pdf) Alcohol impaired driving accounted for 31% of auto accident fatalities in 2013. Self driving vehicles would essentially eliminate or at the very least dramatically reduce this statistic, saving many lives each year. It is like having a designated driver built in to your vehicle. Another safety benefit of the self driving car is the issue of teen drivers. Drivers ages sixteen to nineteen years old are 2.1 times more likely to get a traffic citation than any other driver(https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcm:path:/dmv_content_en/dmv/teenweb/more_btn6/traffic/traffic#) . As a teen driver I was excited to speed and race my friends. I hear about fatal car accidents on the news regularly which involved teen drivers who were racing. Teen drivers are new on the road and have a learning curve. This at times can be dangerous. Self driving cars would not have the learning curve nor would they have the urge to drive unsafe like many teens do. Once a fully autonomous vehicle is affordable for the masses those with low to moderate incomes may find a great benefit. If a vehicle can drive itself it should be able to drop one person off and work and come back home so other members of the household can use the vehicle while the first person is at work. This would make it much more feasible for households to get by with just one vehicle. It may also be possible for one vehicle to be shared by many households. If the cost to own a vehicle is shared among many, vehicle ownership may be possible for those who currently are not able to afford a car of their own. Many members of the elderly community rely on transportation services as they are no longer able to drive on their own. Many have frequent doctor visits or errands to run and as in my mom’s case she feels she is a burden and is often embarrassed to ask for a ride. My mom has never driven in her life. Growing up my father was the only driver on our house. He passed away in 2006 and since then my mom has been left relying on others for transportation. If she owned her own self driving car she would not only be able to get her regular shopping and doctor visits done she would also have access to more social events and recreation. Currently she spends most of her time at home. She is only able to see her grandkids when they are able to go to her house and visit. With this kind of transportation she would be able to visit grandkids, friends, the movie theater, a senior center, the library, church and so many other places she does not get to visit now. Similar to the elderly is the disabled community.
Many disabled citizens do not have access to transportation. According a poll conducted by National Organization on Disability (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11420/) just under one third of those with disabilities reported inadequate transportation as being a problem for them. Just as discussed with the elderly community those with disabilities would have a lot more access not just to the basic necessities of life but would be able to do things many of us take for granted. They may just want to hop in the car and get a burger through a drive through or pay someone a quick visit without having to plan out the trip depending on when transpiration may or may not be available. Personally I think of the benefits of taking public transportation like BART train. Many get to enjoy watching a movie or reading a book while on their way to work. It seems there would be a lot less stress on people if driving in traffic was no longer an issue. Self driving cars would not have road rage. Many people spend several hours commuting to and from work every day. That time spent driving could be spent getting started on their work or some other productive …show more content…
activities. Self driving cars would also change long road trips. When driving somewhere for several hours or even days there are many factors to take into account. When driving for a long time the diver may need to stop and sleep or simply take a break from driving. If the car is self driving, the person who was once the driver but now a passenger can take a nap whenever necessary. Families would be able to play games or watch movies while traveling together. For those large families who cannot afford flying somewhere and choose not to take road trips because they are unpleasant may have an entirely different outlook on the way they travel if the car is driving for them. We may be a long way away from having access to fully autonomous vehicles. There will have to be a lot of legislative change to allow use of such cars. We will also have to take into account the cost of updating our roads, traffic signals and signs so the vehicles can communicate and operate effectively. There is also the issue of insurance coverage. Currently the driver of a vehicle is insured (foot note: http://www.cnet.com/news/how-much-will-it-cost-to-insure-an-autonomous-car/). The policy is rated based on their driving record and how likely they are to have an accident. Insurance as we know it may no longer exist. Liability for an accident may become the responsibility of the manufacture. When I was younger banking was all done at the bank. My parents did not trust the automated teller machine and waited in line every Friday to cash their checks. Times have changed is such a short amount of time. I get paid with my check being automatically deposited in to my bank account every two weeks. My bills are all paid online and most of my transactions are done using my debit card. If I happen to receive a check I deposit it using an app on my cellular phone. I rarely carry more than twenty dollars in my pocket. Our hard working parents hesitated to change the way they handle their money and now our generation accepts online banking as the norm. With new technology comes new promise.
There will be a lot of hesitation at first along with a long adjustment period. The transition will likely not be as smooth as many would like but with time the technology will advance and the consumers will follow. The masses may find the benefits outweigh the problems that come along with new technology. This is completely new to our generation but the next generation will be familiar with the technology and not have as much hesitation. Our children’s children will be born into such advanced technology they will expect it. They will be used to the advances our generations has made and will likely consider human drivers
primitive. Because this technology is so new, we are left with many questions. If hackers are able to hack into our computers, bank accounts and email what will give us the security they will not hack into our vehicles? If we allow self driving vehicles to be the norm and there is a natural disaster where the vehicles are not able to function properly, will there be enough trained human drivers to take over and keep our society functioning? Only with time will there be research and answers to the many questions surrounding autonomous vehicles.
Have you ever wanted to get things done without leaving the comfort of your own home? In today’s society that possibility is becoming reality. Technology has taken a big turn for the outlook people will have when it come to driving because they will not have to. Self-driving cars and their popularity is growing rapidly, but with the popularity also comes the worry. The advanced cars could accomplish many things, but there is a large opportunity for things to go very wrong.
Imagine a world where you can get into a car, push a button, and go where ever you want to go without the hassle of driving. Several car companies, such as Tesla and Honda, have been rumoring about self-driving cars (also known as autonomous cars). The real question people ask is how do they work and when are they coming out?
With driverless cars becoming more and more of a possibility in the near future, it has brought up questions about how it will affect our economy, as well as the jobs of the public. Uber drivers, truck drivers, cab drivers’ jobs are at risk along with the companies that provide them. Many industries may also be affected. There are an approximate “1.8 million heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the U.S. earning a median income of $40,260 per year” (Bureau of Labor Statistics). 1.8 million people may seem like a small number compared to the 318.9 million individuals living in the U.S., but it will have a large effect on those drivers when they have to find a new job to support themselves
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?
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.
The goals behind self-driving cars are to decrease collisions, traffic jams and the use of gas and harmful pollutants. The autonomous automobile is able to maneuver around objects and create swift lines of cars on roadways (How Google’s self-Driving Car Works, 2011). The autonomous vehicle can react faster than humans can, meaning less accidents and the potential to save thousands of lives. Another purpose and vision for these cars is that vehicles would become a shared resource. When someone needed a car, he or she could just use his or her Smartphone and a self-sufficient car would drive up and pick him or her up.
The self-driving car would cause many people to lose their jobs. The careers that would no longer be needed due to the self-driving car include but are not limited to those who drill oil, taxi drivers, and personal injury lawyers. If self-driving cars were electric, oil drillers would be needed less and a majority could lose their jobs. If there’s self-driving cars, there could easily be a self-driving taxi service. If self-driving cars reduce accidents a majority of personal injury lawyers’ business would disappear. Also the gasoline industry would suffer, affecting stockholders, and there would be no need for drivers’ education
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.
Many feel that driverless cars are the future of the automobile industry. When someone hears “Robot cars hitting the road soon” is that guarantees that the roads will still remain safe? With the rapid growth of technology through the centuries more specifically computer software, the issue arises of whether or not roads and other drivers will be safe behind the wheel. Currently there is very few knowledge on how driverless cars will be engineered, which brings concerns to peoples eyes. Subsequently, driverless cars can be prone to hacking, which leads to out of control situations for drivers behind the wheel. However driverless cars should be tested more due to the lack of knowledge because of growing concerns around hacking, lack of confidence
My research paper :” Driverless Cars” By Chhiring Sherpa Introduction Companies are developing driverless cars to sell to consumers. China is getting ready for a trillion-dollar self-ruling driving revolution. In addition to self-ruling driving, ride-sharing and ride-hailing administrations are anticipated to produce an aggregate $1 trillion in income by 2040. People are excited for driver less cars, but they should be cautious of the dangers that come with them.
A main benefit to using public transport is that it allows individuals to rest, focus and be better prepared for work by letting someone else concentrate on the driving. If people take the bus or the train, they could spend the time doing other things, like reading, relaxing or preparing for
Although autonomous cars have many benefits, they still pose a threat to our economy by replacing or getting rid of jobs that relies on human drivers. As time flies by, technology will start to evolve to help autonomous cars become safer and healthier for our environment than humans driving around in a manually operated gas-powered cars that puts our life in danger. The cleaner our environment from using electric autonomous cars over combustion engine vehicles, then there would less kids with autism. Autonomous cars aim to get rid of all of our driving errors by taking the wrong turn, being stuck in a traffic jam, driving around in circles to find a parking spot, or getting lost on the way to your destination. I think it’s important that the future autonomous cars keeps on improving to becoming safer while giving us the passenger some control over the car or else we wouldn’t be able to save ourselves from a dangerous situation if the robot for some reason fails on us. I think in the future we will see more autonomous cars being safe, efficient, eco-friendly and traveling long distances on a single charge. I could see autonomous cars becoming cheaper to buy and easier maintain with car manufacturers like Tesla, Google, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, General Motors, Mercedes, Audi, Volvo, and many more are investing to lead the way in making future autonomous cars. All in all we will just have to wait and see how autonomous cars will work out for
For a lot of disabled people and just people in wheelchairs, using public transportation would be nearly impossible. They would have to use their wheelchair to get around places which would take extremely long only to cover a short amount of distance. For the people who have to use wheelchairs, public transportation would be very hard
The fool or folly is mostly associated with the theatrical profession due to William Shakespeare’s common use of the fool or jester characters in his plays. But what most people don’t know is that the fool has been present in western society well before Shakespeare was known as a playwright. The fool first appeared in literature during the 15th to the 17th century, representing the vices, grotesqueries and weaknesses of contemporary society at that time. According to encyclopaedia Britannica (2014) fools literature (p. 1), the first great example of fools literature was, Das NarrenSchiff (1494; ‘The ship of fools’), a didactic and allegorical poem by German humanist and poet Sebastian Brant, in which people society deemed as fools were gathered and shipped off to what Brant described in the poem as, ‘the fool’s paradise’ (Brant, 1944).