Autonomous Vehicles

If you’ve been reading the news in the last few months, you might have seen mentions here and there of  autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are cars that drive themselves without human input. The vehicle would be used much like a car with a car navigation system with an in dash navigation screen - you would climb in, input your destination, and the car would take you there. This is not a new concept, but lately the concept has garnered a lot of attention because a few companies have built working models. Have you ever stopped to think about what changes autonomous vehicles might bring?

 There are a lot of advantages to taking the human out of the equation of everyday driving. Computers are much more precise and do not get tired, upset, or distracted. There would be drastically less accidents because of this fact alone. These cars would merge perfectly with other vehicles and maintain an exact distance between the cars in front of it. Have you ever seen the Pixar movie Wall-E? Imagine cars like all of the robots neatly slipping onto marked highways and speeding off in perfect regulation.

Problem is, humans driving on the road with autonomous vehicles would be a lot like antiquated Wall-E himself. Humans do not have the precision necessary to execute merging into a tightly knit freeway. Will there be a time where laws discourage, or outright forbid, people to drive their own cars on public roads?

 Another advantage however is getting to relax while the car drives for you. Even spending the night out drinking would not prevent you from climbing in your car and telling it to convey you safely home. The interior cabins of cars could look very different from automobiles today – the steering wheel, gauge panel, and shifter would all be unnecessary. The inside of a car could look like a cozy living room where people relax and chat while they get to where they need to go. You could lie down and take a nap, or text message to your heart’s content.

Many of us can think of instances where we have seen drivers on the road that should not be driving at all. Using autonomous vehicles,  being too young, too old, disabled, or just plain bad a driving would not bar anyone from safe and effective travel. The only people who might choose to drive their own vehicles are those that enjoy it – people who typically know the ways of the road well.

It is true that for the majority of Americans, cars are used as purely a mode of convenient transportation. Taking the stress out of commuting would improve quality of life for many people. There are bigger issues at hand, of course, like who is responsible in an accident when autonomous vehicles are involved. Nevertheless I feel autonomous vehicles will become a reality in the not-too-distant future.