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Abstract
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The self-driving car, long a ubiquitous staple of science fiction, is finally becoming a reality. The requisite technology is under development. There are issues of liability, but they will be relatively small matters to resolve if a burgeoning market and an available profit margin provides the right incentive. The one true obstacle left to the reality of the self-driving car is that of public acceptance. This might prove to be a very real obstacle, as many people are wary, if not out-rightly fearful, of being on the road with autonomous vehicles. And if the public will not accept these vehicles, then none of the other considerations really matter - technological advancements or the resolution of legal issues will become a moot point.
We can hope to sway public opinion towards wider acceptance by, first and foremost, answering the primary challenges raised against this new technology. The first and loudest concern is: will it be safe? Before it can be released, much less fully accepted, the technology must be exceptionally safe. But here we cannot allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. In 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the United States had over 5 million reported accidents with over 1 million injuries and more than 30 000 fatalities. Progress must be seen not as eliminating these occurrences, but rather in reducing them. The metric for success must be in reducing fatal accidents - by 50%, 75%, or 90% - not in reducing the accident record to zero. It is a statistically shown reality that young and inexperienced drivers are some of the most dangerous; if we could bring the quality of autonomous vehicles merely to the driving ability of an attentive experienced middle aged adult, that would be a happy improvement that most parents would gladly embrace - both for the safety of their children and for the likely reduction of their insurance premium.
A second common objection comes from those that find driving intrinsically enjoyable. To many a car represents freedom and fun - it is the sentiment stemming from the quintessential car commercial, a scene where a lone motorist speeds along some twisty mountain road, hair blowing in the breeze. However, here we must admit that not all driving is equally enjoyable...
Language: en |