Why People Should Not Be Afraid of Self-Driving Cars
Until now, humans have had absolute control of machines.
They automatically do some tasks, but there is always a human involved commanding and deciding how the task is performed.
In the 21st century the incorporation of technology into everyday life is not only common but increasing, and the automotive industry is aware of it.
It started with few sensors and parking assistants.
Tesla has a self-driving mode, but it requires human intervention.
Now companies are pursuing full autonomy for self-driving cars with zero human intervention, the question is: Are humans ready?
Full autonomy is a logical step since human back-up is prone to errors.
When a person is distracted, it is really hard to get him into a task, and that is especially dangerous in the situations in which the partial autonomy requires human intervention.
Everyone has got etched in their minds the infamous fatal accident, involving a self-driving Tesla.
This accident caused a major backlash in the trust that people could have for this technology but, was it technology or a human mistake?
Money is Often a Problem
Full autonomy is very appealing to companies like Uber or Lyft, which are already testing self-driving cars and working along with automotive companies willing to take a slice of this industry that promises to represent quite a lot of money in the years to come.
But the money problem is not related to how much the companies are investing in the investigation and development of full autonomy, the problem comes from the hundreds of thousands of chauffeurs who recognize their jobs are threatened.
The problem of this group of workers that earn their daily bread behind the steering wheel should be resolved and help them go through the transition to self-driving cars, training them for alternative jobs.
Also, it should be taken into account that some roads are difficult to navigate and that would be a human task, but overall, the number of drivers will drop dramatically.
Another sector of the economy that could see dark days, if it does not adapt, is the maintenance and repair services for cars since the knowledge needed for self-driving cars will be totally different, tending more to software and electronics.
Why Give a Chance to Self-Driving Cars
Despite all the myths and concerns, moving forward full autonomy is the right path.
With every innovation comes an opportunity: for every job lost, it will appear a new profession; for every car driving itself, there definitely will be grateful people that, for one reason or another, are incapable of driving.
Also, the self-driving car development is aiming more to companies than to consumers; it could be translated into the decrease of traffic jams.
Ecologically, self-driving cars will be an improvement in the care of the health of mother earth, since most of the developments are meant to be electric, eliminating the need for fuel and therefore, eliminating the polluting emissions.
Another thing to consider is, as the self-driving technology is more implemented, it will solve many safety challenges we face nowadays on the road, like reckless drivers, distraction, and drunk people, saving millions of lives for every self-driving unit.
