Self-driving cars are supposed to completely change our world. There are 1.3 million car accidents every year. If technology replaces humans, then they will not have to drive distracted, drunk or drowsy. However, questions have been raised about the safety of self-driving technology.
A woman was hit and killed in March while a self-driving car was being tested in Tempe, Arizona. Sixty-three percent of people stated that they would be afraid to drive in a self-driving car. Self-driving cars work by using radars and cameras. The sensors are used to tell the vehicle when to stop and where to turn.
According to United States safety regulators, 94 percent of car accidents are caused by human error. Smart phones are making drivers even more distracted. Road accident deaths increased by 14 percent from 2014 to 2016. The robots that operate the car will be focused on driving at all times.
A 49-year-old woman in Arizona was riding her bike across a crosswalk. The car ended up hitting her at 38 miles per hour. The brakes were never applied. She was taken to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.
The car’s sensors should have detected the woman and applied the brakes. However, the technology may have problems distinguishing between a pedestrian and an inanimate object. The human driver was also looking down during the accident.
Uber has suspended testing of the self-driving car as the result of the accident. The governor of Arizona has also banned Uber from using self-driving cars. Toyota Motor Corps has also suspended testing of self-driving cars.
Every state has its own regulations regarding testing of self-driving cars, reveals Bloomberg. The federal government has yet to set any rules regarding self-driving cars. The exact cause of the fatal accident in Arizona has not yet been determined. Even though many people have halted testing of self-driving cars, many companies are moving forward with it. General Motor Co., Audi and Waymo plan to release self-driving cars in the future.
Dil Bole Oberoi
