12 August 2016 12:56 pm / Road Trip Drivers Buy a Car Finance a Car

Trusting the Self-Driving Cars

The past twenty years have ushered in a slew of revolutionary changes to how we live our lives. From smart phones to touch screen everything, are living in a digital age where Google has effectively replaced our mother, Tinder is how we mate for life, and now: self-driving cars are a thing that isn't just in Sci-Fi movies . Not just a pipe dream for nerdy cultists, it’s a living, breathing, three dimensional idea that is set to be our future of driving.

While we all have some reservations about a car that can, seemingly, drive itself, companies are getting in line for testing their own prototypes. So wherever you land on the self-driving car spectrum, whether you’re for or against, it’s clear: we’re living in an AI world now. It’s a transport revolution. We’re all along for the ride (pun intended). Hopefully it’s not one where robots harvest our bodies for energy (fingers crossed).

A self-driving car is essentially a highly evolved version of cruise control that, through an array of sensors, allows the car to change lanes, steer, and match the movement and speed of traffic, all by itself. When Audi, Toyota, and Tesla say they’re going to make a self-driving car, you know it’s for realsies. And with a timeline like 5 years for the official unveiling and testing, and we could be looking at roadways littered with cars that can drive themselves as early as the mid-2020-‘s. While the auto industry is moving us all into an autonomous vehicle future, it’s important to remember, should you have any worries, that ultimately, it’s in the hands of government policies. So any worries you have about getting into a car that drives itself, just think about how you likely won't see one until we also come up with a prototype for flying cars.

The argument for self-driving cars? Humans are terrible drivers. There. We said it. We doze off. We text. We day dream about steak dinners when we should be concentrating on advanced greens. We get distracted by dogs in other cars. If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s that a computer driving the car will get you to your destination more safely than, say, your dog crazy friend behind the wheel. The bottom line is: we’re flawed organisms. We’re only humans, barreling at the high speeds in metal and glass on top of rubber. If a self-driving car can remove human error from a job, than far be it from us to judge. Not to mention, an autonomous car will have faster reaction times than a friend with dogs on the brain.

When a self-driven veihicle can use it's advanced safety sensors to detecent an impending collision, effectivel ymaneuv itself away, thereby minimizing the impact and overall sefverity of the crash. Faster reaction times? We don't mind that.

Still a bit hestitant? We're with you. But there is something to be said about how self-driving cars would also help control traffic congestion. Seeing as they would essentially pick up and drop off their passengers, there would be no need for everyone to drive their car to work, which also eliminates the lack of parking in major cities. 

The benefits are plentiful. But keep in mind: it's a technology that is still far off. And, like all prototypes, there are things to work out.

So, no. it’s not done. It’s not perfect. The self-driving car has lots of flaws to work through (as do we all on this road of life). But as our technology progresses, so do our steps towards a self-driving car future. 

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