Driving into the Future

What if when you drove your vehicle there was a computer driving next to you and driving you? Google and GE have made self driving cars that survey the surrounding area to have all the peripheal vision as a human and drive for the human. Google estimates the vehicles would use half the fuel used today and that these cars would fundamentally change the world. Self-driving cars use computers that proccess situations and scenarios just as well if not better than humans, still allow some control through construction or traffic, and elliminate the despised people that text, do make up, or eat while driving.

Most people would agree that computers are smarter than people and can proccess situations and scenarios faster than people too. For instance, I know of no one that can do math faster than a scientific calculator. So why not have a computer drive for us. In the end it would result in safer transit and maybe even earlier arrival itme. Smart cars, as the leading industrys call them, use a spinning sensor on the roof of the car to form a constantly updating 3-D model of the car's surroundings. Humans can only see so much through their two eyes while maintaing eyes on the road. These cars are maintaing a constant image of their surroundings, not just what is in front of them. This leads to safer travel and ultimately smart cars driving better than humans.

While the computers do have a complete 360 degree view around them, they still require human interaction. BMW announced the development of "Traffic Jam Assistant," a car than can handle speeds up to 25 mph by itself. This smart car has special touch sensors that make sure the driver keeps hold of the wheel to ensure that in case of an emergency the driver can safley navigate out of it and overide the computer's autopilot. These smart cars allow you to steer, accelerate, and brake, but are designed to notify the driver when the road ahead requires human skills, such as driving through work zones and around accidents. This means the human driver must stay alert and ready to take control at a moments notice in case of an emergency, so humans are not completely out of control.

With all the technology and distractions at the wheel a world where the technology drove the car might not be such a bad idea. For example, there have been multiple accidents a year due to texting while driving. In many states you can get pulled over by the police for doing things such as texting at the wheel. But what if smart cars made the world safer from texting and driving, or make up at the wheel, or even the people that eat meals or take drinks while in transit. With smart cars people that do those things will have trouble doing them if they have to keep hands on the wheel, but if they still manage to get a text or bite of food, the smart cars will be in control and there to steer them to safety. This would keep not only the people who text and drive, eat, or do make up safer but the people around them would also be away from that danger that they themselves can not control.

Smart cars might not be the first thing many people jump at as the way to go. But smart cars might be one of the safe options to eliminate human error and reduce accidents, drving casualties, and risks. Smart cars are just as equal if not smarter than humans, they are not in full control in case of emergencies, and they can save a life if there is a driver texting, eating, or doing make up at the wheel. I would certainley choose the computer driving me, my friends and coworkers around for my safety and theirs.