Self-driving cars are all the rage lately, they are convenient, savvy, and safe...? They seem like one more invention to make our lives easier, and take away one of our abilities, but how safe are these self-driving cars really? Well, if we look at the Automated Vehicle Safety report, we see that 38,824 people (about twice the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) died from motor vehicle crashes in 2020. That is a crazy high number, considering that is accidents caused by people manually driving. So how do we fix this or try to change it? Well, some scientists and engineers have been working to create a safer version to try and change this problem for the better. But this is still a work in progress because Tesla is not entirely safe yet. “Tesla's FSD system is likely on the order of ten times more dangerous at driving than humans.” It is important for us to keep on the lookout for these kinds of updates so we can see the progress the companies are making to ensure safety. This is also very surprising to me considering that people like to drink and drive a lot, especially with texting and driving now being extremely popular, and only common in general. These are the things that I fear when people feel like there are no repercussions to come from their actions. This is the important thing about innovation because it can create solutions to problems that we keep encountering. We really need help, but a lot of people are also very hesitant when it comes to change. People do not seem to respond to simple recidivism but marketing and the desire for satisfaction is enough to change people’s minds to get on board. Because if I am being completely honest, it can be a little scary! When people see that there is change coming it can be hard to adjust sometimes, especially depending on who you are talking to. A lot of people get caught up in their old ways and they can become extremely comfortable, and they can be very cognitively dissonant. This is just because people get comfortable and there is a fear of your life being changed in a way that you do not want it to be whenever you hear about the invention coming out.
What is the problem??
It is also very alarming whenever people see the worst parts of the invention that comes out like when people are watching the news and they see that these sell-for-driving cars are crashing into people, not stopping for pedestrians, and making it seem like they have a mind of their own. But that's where propaganda plays into these issues, that is its own issue entirely. But when we look past only the bad, we can also see that there is some good at the end of the tunnel. There can always be an upside to everything like who is this innovation really going to be helping if we really look at it? Will this be able to assist elderly people who do not have any more family to drive them around, is this going to be able to help disabled people get themselves without having to feel the burden of asking other people for help? There is so much good that can come from it that is just being missed.
A lot of people I think are just comfortable with the idea of labeling scientists as evil for wanting to create change and you know make our society run a little bit more smoothly when in reality we're just using our brains no it's kind of like when Thomas Edison created the lightbulb and everyone thought he was a wizard and now it's one of the most useful amazing things to ever have been created, we can see each other! That is awesome! But this is modern society and there are people producing amazing ideas every single day as we speak and draft our articles today and there is something beautiful about that. I really do appreciate that we are living in a time where people's ideas are not just pictures on paper but rather business pitches and social media posts and ideas that can really come to life. We do have the chance to do something beautiful here. I would hate to see us all waste it because we are afraid of change.
There is also a point to mention whenever we talk about employment and the effect technology has on people’s ability to find work, but this article from Bentley University has a great take on the issue. Stating, “How will technology affect employment in the future? Juma was quick to point out that technology typically generates as many jobs as it replaces. New tech not only creates jobs but entirely new industries in which jobs will continue to grow.” This brings up a good point because this means that there is going to be someone creating technology and AI that simplifies life a little. Potentially giving people interested in going to tech pay raises as the importance of what they are doing is great. So even though it seems extremely negative again it also could change people’s lives for the better. I am a bit on the edge before I fully jump into the idea of myself purchasing a self-driving car, because honestly, it is a sign of luxury and modern society. But back to the safety thing until I know that it is fully safe, especially considering I might have a huge family day I need to make sure that it is completely compatible with my lifestyle. With the numbers I have seen today during my research, I am not happy to see that if I am completely real with you.
I also think that now could be a wonderful opportunity to advise people that other car manufacturers do not plan to stop making cars anytime soon. So even though other people are going to buy a certain kind of car it does not mean you have to follow their lead. There are so many nice cars out there, one for every kind of person you could imagine. But that does not take away from the fact that we should keep a better eye out whenever we are driving, and it does mean we should be more aware of our surroundings wherever we are. Driving is one of the scariest but most common practices of how to get around town. A lot of terrible things can go wrong with driving but if you are going to take the risk and drive anyways, at least try to be safe when doing so.
I guess it can be scary for people also to think about with more rise of technology and innovation coming our way it makes every part of human life a lot easier which in a way, also makes us lazier. I do sometimes fear that people will forget that they have their own body to still take their places and make it do work. That is obviously an extremely far off scenario especially to imagine the entire world going to that extreme, but you never can say never because it seems if I am speaking an extreme term that that is where we are headed. This is an awesome chance for humans to realize the freedoms that they have and being able to operate vehicles and get themselves to where they need to go, they can choose the speed at which they need to go they can choose a new travel route if they know a shortcut. These are all things that seem small in the moment but when we look back at them in the future it might seem like a wasted chance of freedom.
Driving is in fact dangerous, and self driving cars I feel can go wrong for the same reason that it's technological, but in theory it does sound nice. I can't imagine how it would react if a child suddenly is on the road and the harsh stop to not hurt the child could impact the person in the vehicle. It's for that reason that I don't believe it would be effective for everyone, but if it were only available for the disabled, I think it would possibly improve driving conditions.
Self driving cars have always freaked me out! There is no way I would ever get in a car that isn't being driven by an actual person.
Although I don't want to be lazy, I do admit having a fully functioning self-driving would be awesome. I am not the best driver, so it will be like having a "just-in-case" option. You did bring up a big point on how there are many benefits to self-driving cars. I know for certain that vision-impaired people would have benefited from this type of car. Driving relates to a sense of freedom, control, and power to a person, so I can imagine that disabled people would feel even more in control of their lives with this invention.
You make a great point on these future/possible inventions, especially the self-driving car. I honestly am waiting for the self-driving car to be perfected because I am actually disabled myself. But, I also understand how some people are scared of change because they are so used to how things are already.
Self-driving cars honestly scare me! I cannot believe that we are starting to depend on machines to get us to places safely. I recently read an article where a Tesla could not navigate around a horse carriage.