Self-driving cars make their way along the road using:
- Sonar
- Radar
- GPS
- Computer vison
- LIDAR – a measurement to a target with a laser light
- Odometry
- Inertial Measurement Units – which has to do with force and movement
- (Self-driving car, 2019).
So what would the pros and cons be of the self-driving car? A lot of people are on the fence about whether these cars should exist or not so I am including a table that shows both sides of the argument.
Pros:
- Increased mobility for people who cannot drive
- Safety for people who don’t drive well who are under the influence
- Fuel efficiency
- Help with driving and navigation
- Use transportation as a service for businesses
- Reduction in traffic accidents
Cons:
- Potential safety issues
- Technology malfunction
- Loss of privacy from hackers or terrorism
- Loss of driving related jobs
- No sense of determining potential mishaps or collisions
- Unable to drive safely in all weather conditions
- Gasoline industry would deter because all self-driving cars are electric
- People in the car would be distracted from the road because they are using their electronic devices while driving
(Self-driving car, 2019).
I think that there is also the dilemma of phone usage being illegal for normal car users, but what would be the case for someone that doesn’t have to put their hands on the wheel? Would the same laws still take place? “In 2011, an online survey said that 49% of the people asked would be comfortable using a driverless car” (Self-driving car, 2019).
Personally, I think that it is better to be in control of your own car and if you can’t do that, you shouldn’t own one. There is ethical problems about these cars that are controversial because if you are physically unable as in someone who is blind, to drive a car that is not a self-driving car, would you want them in one that is? These cars are just a matter of trust. Do you trust yourself more than the computer or do you trust the computer ore than yourself. If you trust yourself, the manual way is the best way, but you’ll have to watch out for those pesky self-driving cars.
For more information on the pros and cons of self driving cars, an article by the Jesuit Post talks more in depth about each side with statistics on why each could be good or not. Link: https://thejesuitpost.org/2017/05/self-driving-cars-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly/ gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn434oKqo4AIVi7bACh0KMg5gEAAYAiAAEgJYR_D_BwE
References:
Blagui, N. (2016, December 23). Autonomous Cars. eXo. Retrieved February 6, 2019, from https://www.exoplatform.com/blog/2016/12/23/self-driving-cars-a-blessing-or-a-curse/
Saad, D. (2017, January 22). Self-driving cars as chauffeurs: A Crain’s editorial cartoon. Retrieved February 6, 2019, from https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170122/OPINION03/170129982/self-driving-cars-as-chauffeurs-a-crains-editorial-cartoon
Self-Driving Car. (2019, February 04). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 6, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-driving_car
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