A car speeds down a road, stops at the stoplight and waits for it to turn green. Passersby initially only give the car a precursory glance, but suddenly something sparks their interest. In the driver’s seat, where logic dictates there should be a physical being, nobody is present. What is this driverless car? Is it something out of a horror movie? (Well, yeah). But in actuality, cars like these are nothing to be afraid of. In fact, many people point to driverless cars as the way of the future.
Overcome your (understandable) anxiety and watch the future unfold
Scott Belcher, president of the nonprofit Intelligent Transportation Society of America, told The New York Times that the auto industry sits on the cusp of a major turning point. This year, 2014, is the one Belcher says is going to change history. That’s because it’s the time when the notion of driverless cars have exited the realm of science fiction and merged onto the highway of real-world relevance. In a matter of years – many experts are saying by the close of the decade – the nature of driving itself will have shifted dramatically. Simply put, driverless cars will crowd our highways, city streets and even country roads. And they’re nothing to be afraid of.
Far from being a security risk, the driverless car is being constructed to be the exact opposite: a machine that constantly assesses driving conditions in a way that people can’t. While you may be distracted by your kid crying in the back seat or the ping of your cellphone, the driverless car is not. Its sole function is to guarantee the security and efficient transport of those inside of it. There are no distractions, no room for human error. As the Daily Record pointed out, human error is the source of 90 percent of car accidents. Imagine thousands of crashes being prevented every year. But is it all too good to be true?
A continuing process of development
There’s a reason why you don’t see driverless cars whipping by you on the highways these days. Even though the technology exists, it’s still under scrupulous development, and will remain that way for a while. When it comes to filling the streets with cars sans drivers, people need nothing less than a guarantee of safety. And that will take time.
According to USA Today, there are several different organizations that are setting out to make the ultimate self-driving car. Chief among these enterprises is Google, whose experts have been at work since 2010 refining the technology. Today, Google tests out its self-driving models on various roads, the bulk of which are in California. Back in May, Google revealed a prototype of its driverless model, though it will likely undergo various modifications before hitting the mainstream market. In the meantime, it’s not like other companies are sitting back and letting Google lay sole claim to the driverless market. According to USA Today, Tesla Motors is also making inroads in the driverless industry, and more details about that will likely be unveiled at an Oct. 9 presentation.
So far, there are four states – California, Florida, Nevada and Michigan – that have implemented legislation permitting self-driving cars. That said, it’s going to be a while before such technology experiences mainstream success in any of these states, let alone the rest of the country. While the advent of autonomous cars promises to fundamentally change the way we approach driving, it’s important that we tread carefully – and not speed – toward that evolution.
