Much has been said about self-driving cars and how they enhance road safety, especially after the growing number of people getting involved in car crashes.
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The supporting rationale exposes self-driving cars as an alternative that could help us reduce the margin of error between driving safely and getting involved in a car accident.
Today, it is estimated that over 37,000 Americans die in road crashes every year, which is an issue that could potentially be solved by driverless vehicles.
Having said that, some people still ignore how self-driving vehicles could impact our lives in the future.
Are self driving cars really safe?
Saving our roads from car crashes
The reason why autonomous vehicles are resonating more than ever has more to do with the lack of human involvement while on the road.
Self-driving vehicles do not require a human drivers. Those cars will never be blamed for speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, drowsy driving, or anything else that could lead to a fatal accident.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), around 94% of car accidents in the country relate human error.
If only autonomous vehicles could lower the human-related error percentage rates, people would grant more credit and acceptability to this new technology.
Early demonstrations have also shown that self-driving cars are capable of enhancing safety while on the road.
Self-driving car technology
Car manufacturers are battling to upgrade their vehicles with more innovative features, and self-driving cars are getting the most updated features for performance.
Autonomous cars are capable of gathering real-life data from the environment, using a platform that allows for smooth and quick adjustments.
They rely on their sensors to identify objects that come from any direction, and pass that information to the driver.
GPS is also another feature that allows driverless vehicles to map out their position, not to mention the always-on computer system that enables the car to react, learn, and adapt to new driving experiences.
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There’s a conflict between autonomous vehicles and human drivers
For the most part, human drivers have been found at fault for hitting autonomous vehicles in areas assigned for road testing.
Theorists suggest that autonomous vehicles are designed to expertly and consistently follow the rules, unlike human drivers who may be in conflict with this over-exposure.
Say, for example, a self-driving vehicle always stopping on every pedestrian crosswalk, causing their human-driven counterparts to get more involved with rear-end collisions.
Resistance to new technology
As new regulations are making it easier for driverless vehicles to operate on public roads, many lawmakers, politicians, and citizens are still skeptical about the use of this new technology.
Note that humans also react differently to change and resistance to new technology has always been the case.
When it comes to product adoption, the transition from human-driven cars to fully driverless vehicles will take some time.
In the meantime, car manufacturers need to keep sophisticating their vehicles, while governmental agencies adapt their laws to this new reality.
