Last Updated on April 4, 2022 by admin
The world of transport and cars is always changing and evolving. With technology constantly driving the industry forward, we’ve gone from electric cars to the next generation of automation – autonomous cars.
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What are autonomous vehicles?
Autonomous cars are also known as driverless cars. These vehicles are capable of sensing their environment and moving safely with little or no human input. Autonomous vehicles can be used for a variety of different purposes, from deliveries and taxis. And with technology constantly evolving, the possibilities truly are endless.
The technology behind autonomous vehicles started with partial automation of certain driving manoeuvres, such as self-parking and lane centering. This automation quickly spread to other areas of the driving experience until finally the concept of driverless cars became a reality.
Benefits of autonomous vehicles
The main benefit of autonomous cars are:
Safety
Did you know that 94% of accidents are caused by human error? Well, with autonomous cars, the human element is extremely small, meaning that driverless cars are actually much safer transport options.
Driverless cars can constantly monitor and look for hazards at a level the human brain simply cannot comprehend, plus the computer driving your car won’t get distracted by a cute dog or try to check their texts while driving.
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Reduced emissions and pollution
Due to the most efficient routes being taken and only the necessary amount of fuel being used, autonomous cars will contribute less to the effects of climate change and help us to limit our impact on the environment.
Reduced costs and maintenance requirements
With less distance being covered through taking the fasted routes, little to no accidents taking place and more, autonomous vehicles will also be cheaper to run and maintain.
Greater mobility options
With autonomous vehicles, there are many more mobility options available for those in need such as the elderly, the disabled and children.
Drawbacks of autonomous vehicles
The main drawback of autonomous cars is of course the possibility of malfunctioning. Without humans physically controlling driverless vehicles on the roads, things could go badly if an error occurs. However this risk is pretty well mitigated through humans monitoring the cars as they operate, so they aren’t totally driverless.
The other potential downside to autonomous vehicles is that they can take away jobs from people. Thousands of people rely on ridesharing gigs with the likes of Uber and Lyft to support their families or to supplement their income. Not to mention the thousands of delivery drivers that drop off our parcels, food deliveries and more.
So if driverless cars become the norm, a lot of people would find themselves without a job. This is a massive concern in all industries that automation has found its way into. For example, the manufacturing industry saw a mass automation of hundreds of processes that caused many people to lose their jobs. From the human angle, this could mean the same could happen to thousands of drivers.
Are they the future?
Only time will tell if autonomous cars will become the transportation mode of the future, but if current technologies are anything to go by, we’ll all have ridden in a driverless car soon enough.
