In a world full of advanced technologies, whether the advantages of having driverless vehicles outweigh the disadvantages is a considerable topic of debate. Some experts argue that the advantages cause significant impact to the community, while some believe that disadvantages may be foreseen. This essay discussed the advantages and disadvantages before my personal opinion is decided.
It is undeniable that technological devices or products are being introduced to accommodate people’s needs and wants. For instance, automated self-driving cars like Tesla, where owners can select the location they wish to travel to. This not only provides comfort but flexibility to the users in completing other tasks while being in a car. Additionally, public transportation can reduce their workers, where the salary can be allocated to improvements of the stations.
However, major concerns from researchers, or even citizens are regarding its safety. While those vehicles offer time and comfort, the information on safeties are limited. Recent research, conducted by a university of engineering, on the reaction time for an immediate brake in different scenarios, results have shown that the vehicles are not able to detect objects on the streets and press a brake on time. This causes harmful accidents in real life to both the passengers and other drivers on the road. Moreover, some complex city’s layout can confuse the artificial intelligence system, for example, roads in rural areas with no traffic light or non-visible driving lines.
In order to solve this problem, the manufacturers need to spend time and financial expenses on the development and experiment on safety, ensuring that it meets the standard protocol and is able to perform with highest quality. Subsequently, different functions of different vehicles and its feasibility need to be considered, such as trucks, where experienced drivers are required due to difficulty in maintaining the balance of heavy-load of oil or concrete.
To conclude, while driverless vehicles offer practicality to individuals who are busy, I strongly believe that the cons outweigh the pros. As the safety issues are widely concerned, together with the amount of efforts required to spend on development of those vehicles.