Will the Self-driving Car Replace Human Drivers | Teen Ink

Will the Self-driving Car Replace Human Drivers

July 10, 2018
By tonylin112233 BRONZE, Xiamen, Georgia
tonylin112233 BRONZE, Xiamen, Georgia
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Nowadays, many of the big companies, such as Google and Tesla, are inventing and improving the self-driving cars. With their use, some problems will emerge. However, I believe that the benefits that they bring, such as being safer and more financial efficient to the individuals and the society, will be greater than the problems they cause. So, I think that the drive-less cars will replace the human drivers.

The first and foremost argument for driverless cars is safety. Several studies have shown and professors, including Bill Windsor, a safety expert with Nationwide Insurance, have agreed that since 90% of accidents are caused by humans, not cars, it is reasonable to think that autonomous cars will make accidents and injuries less likely. According to Professor Robert W. Peterson of the Center for Insurance Law and Regulation at Santa Clara University School of Law. “There is every reason to believe that self-driving cars will reduce frequency and severity of accidents.” (Joseph A. Dallegro, How Google’s Self-driving Cars Can Change Everything)

 

There are two reasons. First, car will not make human errors like “get drunk or high, drive too fast, or take unnecessary risks.” (Joseph A. Dallegro, How Google’s Self-driving Cars Can Change Everything) Second, the cars are programmed to run by the book. For example, it will leave the safety distance between itself and the car ahead to avoid collision. Also, the application of advanced cruise control and brakes that can apply themselves will warn or take over a driver in emergencies.

 

Not only can such cars make the road safer, they also have economic benefits. According to a University of Texas report, if 90% of cars in US were autonomous, more than $450 billion will be saved via less wasted time and fuel, as well as fewer injuries and deaths. Not only for the society, it will also reduce the financial need for people who have cars. Robin Chase, the founder and CEO of Buzzcar, points out that “If the autonomous cars are shared vehicles and people pay for each trip, I think this will reduce demand.” The price of the refilling is also a part of the reason. As we know, the batteries only need to charge by electric power and it is way cheaper than the oil. Thus, the self-driving cars can bring huge economic benefits to people.

True, this new industry might create a large amount of unemployment. According to the passage “Impacts and Implications”, technology had contributed to the loss of around 800,000 jobs in UK. However, it also creates 3.5 million new jobs in their place. It also claims that “While technology might eliminate low-skilled, manual or clerical jobs, it creates demand for higher skilled.” Therefore, the unemployment that the drive-less car bring will not be remarkable, instead, it will make more bonus for the technological industry.

In conclusion, thanks to the safety and economic benefits, autonomous vehicles will gradually make human drivers obsolete. But considering the possible unemployment that comes along, the next thing we should think about is how to minimize this side effect. So, I suggest technological giants invest more in these cars.



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