The Road Ahead: The Future for Driverless Cars

Google’s autonomous, or driverless, cars are making a stir in the automotive industry. Michigan authorized road testing of driverless cars last December, and early prototypes of the 3-D mapping, self-piloting vehicles have been on select Michigan roadways since, even helping passengers perform errands, such as getting drive-through fast food.

The cars are driven according to programmed routes, allowing the driver-passenger to observe and interrupt the autopilot by braking or using the steering wheel. They have sophisticated, infrared cameras that create panoramic maps to “see” the driving world as it’s occurring in real time.

Automakers are positioning driverless cars to be a major segment of the industry in the near future, and a significant sum of money is being devoted to getting them roadway ready. In California, where driverless cars have been quickly progressing in cities like San Francisco, both lawmakers and consumer watchdog groups are cautiously optimistic about their future. Last July, Google proved to onlookers that it too believed in the up-and-coming technology when it purchased Waze, a promising mapping company, for $1 billion.

Proponents of driverless cars claim that the technology will yield a safer, less congested world where car owners can trust their vehicle to get them to their destination safely. Additional, driverless cars will have the ability to deliver and retrieve their passengers, much like a professional driver. What’s absent, they claim, is the human element that is often attributed to the cause of a majority of accidents nationwide.

For better or worse, a driver is responsible for his or her own safe behavior behind the wheel. However, if a driverless car causes an accident, who would be held at fault? Furthermore, could driverless cars be vulnerable to hacks or abuse like other forms of computerized decision-making? Potential security concerns regarding the elimination of human drivers from commercial functions (delivery or freight) also present a challenge when vehicle and cargo theft is a real possibility.

While we see great potential in assisted driving features, particularly for the disabled, we become wary at the point where computers override human decision-making. Any technology that raises questions about individual responsibility becomes a valid legal and cultural issue and should not be widely-adapted without great consideration.

Enough of our thoughts though, we’re interested in hearing what you have to think about the future of driverless cars. Sound off on our social media page.