Researches
estimate that driverless cars will reduce traffic fatalities by up to 90% by midcentury.
In the United States alone, around 300,000 fatalities would be prevented over a
10-year period, and 1.5 million lives would be saved in 50 years. Globally,
there are about 1.2 million traffic fatalities per year, which mean driverless
cars would save 50 million lives around the world in 50 years. If driverless
cars eliminate the majority of fatal traffic accidents as promised, the
technology will be one of the most transformative public-health initiatives in
human history.
The
reduction of traffic fatalities relies on widespread adoption of driverless
cars, and there will be situations where driverless cars will be involved in
traffic accidents. The engineers who write the driverless car’s code will
determine how the driverless car will crash, and if it will crash trying to save its
occupant or the pedestrians and other human drivers.
Do you
think the reduction of traffic fatalities by driverless cars is achievable,
although it will also be affected by human error and traffic accidents that are
not caused by driverless cars? How do you think the discussion on whether the
driverless car should crash trying to save its occupant or the pedestrians and
other human drivers will end?
The full article (www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/09/self-driving-cars-could-save-300000-lives-per-decade-in-america/407956/)
Driver-less cars have always been on my mind since google introduced there driver-less cars years ago. There are so many applications if these were on the roads. If there were somehow driver-less cars that were up-kept and clean I could see never buying a car again and using them if there was a service like uber but that offered a membership for getting around. The sensors on these cars are so intuitive its amazing, but that is not surprising as most of these sensors have been tested in man vehicles as safety features for decades. I think in America where the car has rained supreme as the main source of transit for many, because the extension of the car as part of yourself I dont see people ditching cars, so at least man-less cars would make the roads safer.
ReplyDeleteI agree, probably driver-less cars will decrease car ownership in certain places but I don't see it eliminating car ownership at least not in the near future. I think that the idea of providing a membership through a service like Uber is great, I also think that providing driver-less cars or vans that can pick up multiple riders who are going to the same destination will decrease the number of car trips and traffic as well.
ReplyDelete