Autonomous Cars: The Great Potential To Save Lives

In the article, “Will Self-Driving Cars be Good for America” (March 10, 2016), Robert Peterson argues that America is ready for self-driving cars to take over the streets. The author first reports the statistics of car related accidents in America, and how much the damages have cost in all; he then presents all the benefits of autnomous cars by discussing how it will benefit people of all ages by limiting expenses, and being able to reach a destination without the need for a license; and to conclude, he then finishes his article by alerting the audience that they need to get ready for what’s about to happen to the automotive industry in America. His purpose is to inform the reader in order to convince them that autonomous cars are the only

As technology in automobiles continues to improve, the debate over driverless cars has become more frequent. A self-driving car is able to move and navigate on its own using sensors and programming technology without human control. Many people believe the development of driverless cars would be beneficial because they could reduce the risk of hitting another car. The sensors and navigation would be able to avoid accidents, while drivers usually get distracted and would be able to use their time leisurely in the car. A self-driving car may allow people to drive when unable to in the past, such as children and disabled persons, and can be more cost-effective due to cheaper insurance. However, self-driving cars could be extremely expensive and can easily malfunction and therefore not always reliable, while also decreasing the safety of pedestrians and children who may attempt to use the car without permission. With new technology and distractions, driver’s minds can easily wander and become preoccupied. Technology can easily malfunction, and something as small as my phone or a light bulb will glitch frequently. I often see cars stranded on the side of the road because the engine went out or broke down; imagine how catastrophic an accident could be if a sensor in the car went out. Driverless cars are not beneficial to society because while there are favorable aspects of a self-driving car, one can malfunction and add new risks to the road, as well as potentially hurting the

Are Self-Driving Cars really a problem? In “Reliability of Self-driving Cars. An Interesting Challenge!” by Aarnout Brombacher, he states that self-driving cars will not work due to the public not being able to change their driving habits. Matt McFarland, in “What It’s like to Ride in a Google Self-Driving Car,” thinks that self-driving cars aren’t controlling in a way where humans do not have any control. Humans have the option to take control whenever they feel that it is necessary. Another author named Daniela Rus states in her article, “The Robots Are Coming,” that self-driving cars use robotic technology and are better at driving skills than humans because these skills are structured. The problem would be that many Americans would not like the idea of having the roads consist mainly of self-driving cars, which would not allow the self-driving car to strive. Because the amount of car accidents that occur is increasing, self-driving cars should be more widespread and allow the public to feel as though they are not losing essential skills in the process.

The article, “The Promise of a Post-Driver Life” states, car accidents occur every day, leaving someone seriously injured about every seven-seconds and one dead about every fourteen minutes (Humas). Surprisingly, driverless vehicles are on the rise and people do not know how to react or what to think about them. While the number of accidents on the road has increased over the years. Driverless cars could be a solution to help to mend the problem and help eliminate driver errors. Some people believe we should have driverless vehicles while others say they would be too dangerous. Many people in the United States feel driverless cars can create a decrease in the number of accidents, create a better traffic flow, and create greater mobility for those who cannot drive, while others say it would be too hazardous with possible computer malfunctions, cyber attacks, and relying on algorithms to make ethical decisions.

Since the beginning of self-driving cars which first began in 1925 with the creation of the Houdina Radio Control; a car operated by two cars, a transmitter, and an antenna, to now - the futuristic dream of these autonomous cars have transformed into the reality of cars we see now. These cars are nothing short of the new technology advances that have occurred over the past decade. However, with these advances many question whether or not these cars are ready to be sold, due to the fatal accident that occurred May 2016 involving the autonomous Tesla and a white truck. Due to the Tesla not being able to detect the white tractor because of technological issues, the tesla failed to stop, and since the driver was not prepared to steer, it lead to the fatal collision eventually leading to the death of the tesla owner. With the increase of these cars on the road, from companies like BMW, Daimler, Ford, Apple, Uber, and Google, this poses a serious threat to not only the people operating this autonomous vehicle but also to the surrounding drivers. I believe that autonomous cars should not be put on the road, and that these cars are not beneficial to the population.

In the article ‘The Driverless Car Debate: How Safe Are Autonomous Vehicles?’ it says, “...‘driver error is believed to be the main reason behind 90 percent of all car crashes’ with drunk driving, distracted drivers, failure to remain in one lane, and failing to yield the right of way the main causes.” Artificial intelligence in cars can be a great solution because it eliminates the problem of dangers on the road caused by humans. With less accidents on the road, more money will be saved by the government and it can be used for other things. The same article shows that the U.S spends over $400 billion on accidents, which is two percent of the

Safety is a big part of self driving cars. But with the technology we have now and what we have coming is huge in safety. Proponents say autonomous driving would reduce the number of people killed in traffic accidents. Last year, with nearly 40,000 auto-related deaths in the United States, was the deadliest since 2008. All those deaths were without self driving cars. “State and local governments also have complementary responsibilities and should work with the federal government to achieve and maintain our status as world leaders in innovation,?” said David Strickland, general counsel for the trade group, Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. Also self driving cars will be “driven” by satellites. Self-driving cars can also help disabled and elderly people get from place to place on their own. It is also safer for elderly people. The company has been grappling with the fallout from the death in May of a Florida driver who had the car’s Autopilot on. However the tech isn’t advanced enough yet. Self driving cars is nothing to push, and rush

Although automated vehicles may very well decrease the number of collisions significantly, some car accidents are inevitable. Normally, when a car accident occurs, someone is held accountable for the accident. There are multiple theories of driver liability. One is “Traditional Negligence”, meaning that drivers who cause injury because of misuse of their vehicle, are liable for the harm done. Another is “No-Fault Liability”, where victims of an accident may only sue if they have severe injuries (Sudzus). These theories, when applied to automated vehicles in an accident, do not clearly indicate who is responsible. Because neither of the drivers were in control of their car, they cannot be held accountable for the accident. The liability may pass to the manufacturer of the vehicle (Sudzus). Because of the uncertainty of liability brought about by self-driving cars, society may not be ready to have them on the

The next era is here and everyone is talking about how autonomous cars are going to be the future of this country. In just a few years they will be everywhere on American roadways. Just like any other engineering project, this new technology has brought many concerns to the public. Even though people tend to risk their lives everyday behind the wheel, they still do not view the risk equivalent or greater than driverless cars. Not only will self-driving cars be safer, hey will be beneficial in plenty of other ways.

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” What if that one giant leap for mankind is autonomous vehicles? The talk of self-driving cars has been around for a while, but only has a futuristic idea. Self-driving cars no longer have to be a futuristic idea, according to an interview with Jeff Brown (2017). In the article, “This life changing technology is closer than people think,”self-driving cars are expected to be here within the next 18 months. Brown (2017) reported this life changing-technology will bring changes that will be difficult for people to wrap their heads around. Self-driving cars will bring changes such as the decrease of human driving error, lowering the cost of car insurance, and the beginning of a new industry.

There are legitimate reasons to urge caution when considering implementing autonomous cars rapidly in today’s complex transportation system. For example, autonomous cars will eventually face a moral dilemma (Anderson). In the event of an inevitable crash, how will an autonomous car respond when faced with a situation that threatens the safety of the passenger, versus the safety of a pedestrian? Although these red flags do provide sufficient evidence to provide concern, the benefits of autonomous cars outweigh the possible mistakes that will come along the way. Eventually, autonomous cars will have many advantages over user driven cars as they will make roads safer and reduce traffic, among other benefits.

An era of self-driving cars may still be 20 plus years away but the ground work for their introduction and implementation is being laid out right now. It's important to understand that situations where a self-driving vehicle can’t predict and react to an accident will be extremely rare fringe cases that should not control the whole argument or sway the opinions of the public. The public should not be swayed by hypothetical moral decisions that your car may have to make. There are numerous benefits that such technology will bring with it to be impeded and delayed by the vocal minority that may not know all of the facts. Self-driving cars will bring with them another level of road safety where the public can fully relax during commutes and where

Christopher B. Dolan, a lawyer from California, explores how AVs work and the effect their implementation would have on human safety in his post trial report, “Self-driving cars & the bumpy road ahead: can your car drive better without you?” Dolan specifically hones in on the idea that removing humans from the driver seat is the main reason why autonomous cars are safer. Dolan uses the statistic that, “Approximately 35,000 highway fatalities and 95 percent of automobile crashes are caused at least in part by driver error,” to show that having a human behind the wheel 95% responsible for the way in which cars pose a hazard to our physical safety. “Autonomous vehicles (Avs), however, don 't make human mistakes, and there is strong evidence that AV technology may dramatically alter the collision matrix”[1]. Since autonomous cars

One of the self-driving cars approached a crosswalk, it did what it was supposed to do when it slowed to allow a pedestrian to cross and the car used the brakes. The person who was crossing the street was fine, but the automatic car has been hit from behind by a human-driven car. Those kind of cars is programmed to follow the letter of the law. However, it is not easy to get a driverless car in the streets with a lot of people that don’t pay attention. In the United States, innovative and futuristic cars are constantly developing, with the necessary modifications, to a new industrialization. Evolutions of cars never stops, and this is more evident when we speak about new technologies, such as those that are applied to electric vehicles. All of that being said, autonomous cars can make a significant and positive difference in the way that society functions.... driverless car will be an important futuristic change for people because it will provide benefits for traffic reduction, it will provide benefits for both individual drivers and it will provide benefits to positively change how America society functions.

One of the major incentives for developing autonomous vehicles is the potential impact on vehicle safety. In 2009, there were 10.8 million motor vehicle accidents in the US, resulting in 35,900 deaths (Census 2012). It’s estimated that over 90% of all accidents are due to