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Autonomous Driving Is Safe

The world’s technology has definitely been changing through the years. Recently, New York has thought about putting autonomous cars on the road, cars that can drive on their own without a person behind the wheel. There have been many debates over whether it’s safe to put autonomous cars on the road or not. Autonomous cars being on the road will improve vehicle safety with their technology improvements, but people would say that they’re dangerous to have on the road because autonomous cars have caused a few deaths.

Self-Driving Test

A company named Mobileye has been testing self-driving cars in New York City for the past 6 weeks. According to an article on SILive, Mobileye is “the first and only company thus far to receive a New York AV testing permit that allows the company’s autonomous vehicles to drive in New York City.” They decided to test out autonomous cars in New York City because it’s one of the most challenging roads in the country. They feel like testing it on NYC roads “is a crucial step in vetting the capabilities of an autonomous system and moving the industry closer to commercial readiness.” This is a way to test if the autonomous car is safe to be driven in a crowded, urban environment. The company is currently figuring out ways to have the car park on its own and how it can navigate through tunnels and bridges. Mobileye wants to ensure the car will be safe enough to be on the road with other drivers, motorcyclists, and jaywalkers.

Self-Driving Affects Residents of New York

Now that they are testing self-driving cars on the road, Mobileye has to make sure that it’s safe for them to be around other drivers. They are currently testing out the cars and want the self-driving cars to be used as taxis. Instead of having a person drive a taxi, the car will drive on its own with one or more people in that car. If New York City decides to let autonomous cars on the road, the cars will be in control instead of humans. The self-driving car has prevented itself from getting into bad situations with aggressive drivers, “yielded to jaywalkers weaving between traffic,” got around delivery trucks parked on busy streets, and got through bridges that were leading to Manhattan. The self-driving car did all that without any problems on the road. The car will be able to avoid accidents with people in the car, demonstrating it is safe enough to drive around New York City. This will help make the roads feel safer and less dangerous.

Safe Technologies For Autonomous Driving

While the self-driving car is currently still being tested, there will be technologies added to the autonomous car to keep the passengers safe. There will be sensors added so the car can sense possible danger and avoid a car crash when needed. The car will also have a blind-spot detection, so it can know if there are cars on either side before switching lanes. It will have emergency brakes in case of a possible accident on the road. The car will even include a map, so the car knows where to go or where the passengers want to go. These safe technologies will prevent passengers from getting into a car crash as they are taken to their destination.

Self-Driving Will Not Be A Danger Zone

Many people think that it’s very dangerous to have a self-driving car because it can cause car crashes. There have been incidents out of New York City where people have unfortunately lost a family member to self-driving cars. There was a situation in California where the car had control of its brakes, steer, and accelerator and still wasn’t able to control the car enough to stop, causing a passenger to die after being thrown out of the car. However, the company is working on fixing this problem, so it won’t be as dangerous in the future. This is why they are testing out the autonomous car before even presenting it to the public. Mobileye would have to look more into the brakes, accelerator, and steer before even bringing the car out. This is a possible solution; if Mobileye fixes the brakes, accelerator, and steer and the testing shows the car is ready, then maybe people will have faith in it. If the self-driving cars’ technologies work by that time, there will be a decrease in deaths by car accidents and an increase in car safety.

The Future Of Self-Driving

Once autonomous cars get on the road in New York City, it will decrease car crashes. With the new technology being installed into the cars, the car will have full control while the person sits back and watches. That will make it safe for the passenger and prevent car crashes. It will keep drivers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians safe as they are on the road. If autonomous cars fix their brakes, steer, and accelerator, people will start to believe that it’s a good idea for autonomous cars to be on the road. 

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