The debate of self -driving cars has returned to float again on the surface after many initial experiences revealed that it may not be safer as it claims to be manufacturers, but rather it turns out that it may make traffic worse.
In a report published by the American newspaper "WashingtonPost", the writer David Zipper said that the volatile expectations of the self -driving auto industry left investors and enthusiasts of this technology in a state of frustration.
In 2016, Ford announced the launch of self -driving taxis by 2021, and Lyft announced the resumption of a self -driving program, but these companies did not fulfill their promises.
At the January Motors, GENERAL Motors and the Chinese company "Geely" and the CEO (Mobileye) Consumers is that they will be able to buyTheir self -driving cars by 2024.
Currently, there are no self -driving cars available for purchase this year (even if Tesla described "misleading" - according to the newspaper - the driver's assistance system that I created "full self -driving").
Does the use of self -driving vehicles collectively to society?What is the purpose of it?
Although more than $ 100 billion has been investing in self -driving cars over the past decade, many doubts are still hovering around.
Like the cars, the self -driving vehicles did not arise from the need, but rather as a result of technological opportunities.Phil Kobman, professor of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, believes that creating self -driving cars was not the aim of solving some social problems.The competition intensified to make a self -driving car between private companies, despite the absence of a clear reason for its existence.
Google and the misleading promise
In 2007, Google, Sibastian Thron, the leader of the Stanford team, appointed to launch a new self -driving initiative that will later form the basis of the company known as "Waymo".Google plans to spread its technology on public roads, claiming that the primary goal of manufacturing self -driving cars is to ensure safety.
In a blog published in 2010, the company shed light on 1.2 million annual deaths caused by traffic accidents all over the world, noting that she believes that her car will be able to reduce this massive number, perhaps by half.This vision was widely welcomed, which prompted some companies to weave in the footsteps of Google and to explain safety as the reason for the creation of their self -driving cars..
The National Traffic Safety Administration in the United States has published a memorandum stating that human error (along with other factors, such as bad road engineering or dangerous car design) is the main reason in 94% of traffic collision accidents.In order to realize the gains from this industry, self -driving car manufacturers have put this number in mind during marketing for their products.
These companies claim that self -driving cars will reduce the driving accidents in sugar or drowsiness, but the gaps of the automatic learning system for these cars will inevitably lead to errors that human drivers do not make.Phil Kobman asserts that a few years ago, the self -driving system was unable to distinguish the yellow color.
Kobman believes that the controversy related to safety is exaggerated because "there is no evidence if the self -driving vehicles will be safer than human drivers in the short term to the average," noting that "machine learning technique still suffers many shortcomings, especially when they object to their wayUncommon bodies..
Car auto errors are deadly driving
Initial experiences revealed that the errors made by self -driving cars are fatal;The first model of Uber shocked Mrs. Eileen Herzburg, and caused her to be killed when she was crossing a street in Arizona with her bike in 2018.As a result, the governor of Arizona suspended Uber's ability to test its vehicle, and after two years, the company sold its car to one of the startups known as "Aurora".
The writer believes that what increases the arguments related to safety complicated is the question of whether car companies will designing self -driving vehicles to violate traffic laws..The federal government forced the company "Tesla" to collect all its vehicles after it deliberately programmed it to move slowly during the signs of stopping instead of stopping completely..
And if the goal is to ensure road safety, there are already many available technologies that car manufacturers can invest in, instead of seeking to create self -driving cars entirely;Such as advanced driver assistance systems, automatic brake brakes in emergency and detection of the two boys.It has already been proven that such systems have helped save lives, but their capabilities differ greatly from one model to another.
The writer emphasizes that some of the other proposed benefits of self -driving cars are questionable.Regarding the strengthening of these vehicles, the productivity of employees by allowing them to receive work calls and submit notes while on the road, this hypothesis is not possible, especially since one of the studies has concluded that only one driver out of every 4 wants to work while he is traveling.
As for the extent to which self -driving cars can expand transportation options for those who suffer from visual or motor disability, this hypothesis is likely to be applicable in rural areas, but in cities and suburbs people can call a taxi.
The writer touched on the argument that self -driving vehicles can help fight climate change.According to Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, "This technology can be able to achieve sustainability if we make sure that self -driving compounds limit the use of fossil fuels.".
Even if the self -driving cars are electrical, those additional miles that you will cut to avoid traffic congestion will be disastrous for the environment.Whether it operates with batteries or gasoline, all cars produce emissions, from brake dust to friction between the tires, and the manufacture of electric vehicles leads to the expansion of the carbon footprint.
According to the writer, if the world is serious about addressing the phenomenon of climate change, then promoting transit and cycling instead of driving is more effective than any type of cars, whether it is self -driving, electric or otherwise.
The writer warns that the use of self -driving cars will be more dangerous in cities.Without imposing a restriction policy such as the miles that vehicles cut or pricing overcrowding, the crowded streets can become immersed in congestion, especially if the owners of self -driving cars avoid pushing parking fees by programming their cars to roam the nearby streets while sitting in anyoneRestaurants.
The writer adds that defenders of self -driving car technology did not hesitate to use global competition between China and the United States as a supportive argument for this technology, and they continued to urge to enact legislation that protects it, but global competition alone seems to be an insufficient justification for allowing the unrestricted civil use of technology that can reduceQuality of life.
Given the danger posed by self -driving cars on the future, government officials should monitor the new developments in this technology with caution, and be ready to intervene at any time to defend the public interest.