Human error and carelessness account for almost all car crashes on the road, and statistically it is significantly more likely for a fatality to occur on the road than in any other vehicle, including planes. Could autonomous, self-driving cars be the solution? Check out the Pros and Cons here:
London has finally started a series of tests in Greenwich in order to gauge the potential of driverless cars in the UK. Autonomous cars are being featured in the city as a way to greatly improve road safety wherein human error makes up for 90% of accidents. The technology is now being hailed as something groundbreaking since it would be able to help the elderly and disabled get to places without the hassles of commuting.
However, while many locals have quickly accepted this new technology, others remain skeptical about its safety. There are a lot of advantages when using driverless cars but the current cons that the technology is facing somewhat outweigh the benefits it gives.
Here are several pros and cons of autonomous vehicles.
Pros
Driverless cars will have little to no traffic collisions because of the technology’s increased reliability and faster reaction time compared to human drivers.
Underage and handicapped (blind, crippled, etc.) passengers will be able to travel without a lot of assistance from other people.
Parking won’t be a problem as driverless cars can just drop off passengers, park in a faraway location, and return when the passengers needed to be picked up.
Less road signage since driverless cars can receive wireless instructions from government agencies.
Cons
A car’s computer system can be hacked and compromise the passengers’ safety.
Underage and handicapped passengers may not be able to react quickly to situations such as road collisions.
A lot of people from the public transportation sector may lose their jobs.
Driverless cars can be used for terrorist activities without the perpetrators leaving a trace.
A major overhaul in the traffic system would be needed since driverless cars need signals from stop lights and other road detours.
The driverless car technology needs a lot of work before it could be deemed as safe and the UK knows this. As such, the government is working hard to publish a code of practice for those who want to test the autonomous cars on the road. In 2017, domestic regulations will be reviewed in the state in order to accommodate the new technology and will be further amended in 2018 to make it safer.
Tesla Motors, the car company that sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components, is actively participating in the creation of driverless cars. And while the future of autonomous vehicles should be green, other car companies that rely on fuel combustion are also joining the fray. With the declining oil prices, it could mean that people may end up choosing the traditional cars over the greener ones. After all, as previously mentioned in an Earthgarage post, it seems that many Americans have some sort of a Pavlovian response to cheap gas. As the prices get lower, their vehicles and greenhouse gas emissions get bigger.
Perhaps the popularity of traditional cars over today’s greener alternatives can be attributed to the power that the oil and gas industry holds over businesses. After all, a lot of establishments still rely on gas for operations, which make it a necessary commodity everywhere. Unaoil, a major player in the oil and gas industry, even formed a partnership with Sulzer amid falling oil prices in order to have better coverage in Southern Iraq.
Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.