There’s no arguing with the fact that autonomous cars are the future. The question is, should they be? There are many CEOs that argue against the fact that autonomous cars will be the next big thing and there many more who agree with them. Driverless cars may have a few holes that will stop them from entering mainstream purchasing as fast as they’re predicted to. Here are a few arguments you may want to consider.f
They’re Not as Smart as Humans
Although driverless cars will be programmed to drive without the help of a human, some people say there will be certain situations where that’s impossible. Has your SAT NAV ever needed updating? If so, you’ll know that you’re likely to be directed in the wrong way until the roads on the system have been updated. The same could be said for autonomous cars. There will be certain circumstances that a programmed car may not be able to handle. Whether humans would have to intervene, or the car would end up in a field, remains to be seen.
Who is Liable?
One of the biggest questions that people like Adam Smallow car accident lawyer, are asking is who would be liable in an accident with two autonomous vehicles? Without a driver, there’s no-one to blame but both parties may be injured and have vehicle repairs to pay for. Tapella Law’s dedicated car accident lawyers could explain how this will work. Car insurance of the future could be a lot more complicated than it is right now and it’s likely that every car will have a mandatory dash cam built in. It could still be difficult to prove liability, but with the help of new vehicle technology it should be clear which vehicle was the cause of the accident.
Will Autonomous Cars Get Hacked?
Self-driving cars will essentially be computers, so it’s not surprising that people would be worried about a potential hacking. It’s more than likely that some of these vehicles will be hacked and stolen from owners but it’s also likely that manufacturers will predict this. The problem comes when hackers decide to attack on a large scale. For example, the likes of large data hacks and security lapses have seen large corporations fall to their feet in a matter of days. Could the same happen with autonomous cars from a certain manufacturer or within a certain area?
Public Transport Failure
At the moment, one of the main reasons for autonomous cars being built is for the transportation services. Businesses like Uber are the targets for these driverless vehicles with the aim of lowering costs because the business will no longer have to pay drivers. However, there seems to be a huge hole in this plan. The amount it would cost to invest in a fleet of these vehicles would be far and beyond the amount it would cost to keep drivers in regular vehicles. So, until autonomous vehicles become more mainstream and less expensive, transportation services aren’t likely to invest in them anyway.
Safety Issues
There will be many people who don’t feel safe using a vehicle without a driver, and that’s before safety concerns are raised. The main problem is, autonomous vehicles rely on machine learning that isn’t tested or proven before being used. What if the computer fails to update? Although ninety nine of a hundred vehicles will have updated and learned to the highest standard, there may be one that didn’t and makes a journey potentially dangerous for the passenger. For driverless cars to work, they need to have the same standards as aviation before being allowed on the road.
We Won’t See Them Anytime Soon
There are some who believe that driverless cars could be on the roads within a few months or next year. Although the possibility is very real, it would be irresponsible of vehicle manufacturers to make that a reality. The truth is, the technology just isn’t ready to put out there yet. There are too many variables when it comes to putting a driverless car on the roads and certainly too many things that could potentially go wrong. Driverless cars are expected to hit our roads within the next decade but it could take even longer than that for them to enter mainstream driving.
Start Off Slow
While the dream is completely driverless car, most manufacturers agree that starting with semi-autonomous cars is a better idea. Increasing levels of autonomy is the only way to safely implement the technology so passengers get used to what to do and expect.
