Driverless cars may seem like a thing of the future, but they are much closer than most people seem to believe. Many different companies such as Google, Tesla, Audi, and many more have already built and tested their own models. However, many people are wondering whether self-driving cars are a help or a danger to society. Driverless cars are the next step in automotive technology and the research on them should continue because they will be safer and more efficient than cars driven by human drivers.

Every human makes a mistake at some point in his or her life. Whether they are distracted by something they see or they fall asleep at the wheel, people will make errors; it is part of our nature. On the other hand, computers function on data and do not make nearly the amount of mistakes as people. That is why self-driving cars will make roads safer and lead to less damage. Driverless cars take data they recieve from sensors, cameras, and GPS and they use this information to pick the smartest way to keep occupants safe on the road. Also the automated systems like driver assitance and antilock brakes that are already inside cars have proven that these programs will make driving safer. For example, antilock brakes function by detecting and then reacting to skids by apply brakes and reducing engine power. Therefore the driver is better able to avoid hazards and maintain control in dangerous situations. Google has also already tested some of their semi-driverless cars and these vehicles have not crashed in half a million miles. As proven by already installed automated features, technology will continue to make drivers and passangers safer. The next step in this technology is a self-driving car that will limit the amount of error that can be cost lives.

Another reason driverless cars should continue to be manufactered is that they will be more efficient and better protect the enviroment. Global warming is a problem that needs to be dealt with and one of the major culprits of it is the exhaust from diesel burning cars. The cars that Google is manufacturing are attempting to use half the fuel of a regular car while providing a safer function. With computers that can regulate exhaust, it is not too hard to imagine in the near future, if given more research, that a self-driving car could accomplish such a feat. Driverless cars would also be more efficient in that they would cut down on transportation time between destinations. Using GPS features, an autonomous car could calculate the quickest route to a destination and it would never miss a turn. Self-driving cars would not only be more fuel-efficient and help save the environment, but they also would be more time efficient.

Safety and efficiency are a few of the reasons why autonomous cars should continue to be reseached and developed. Many automoble manufacters are already producing mostly independent driving cars and soon they will become common place. By 2020 most major car producers plan to have a autonomous car model. That is not to say that everyone needs to have a self-driving, but those who do purchase one of these vehicles will not only help themselves, but they will also help others and the world around them.