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.
