Written by Gavin Carlisle|
Cover photo via BMW Blog|

People, at one point in their life, have thought about the future; whether it was their own or the future of mankind as a whole. One part of mankind’s future that seems inevitable is the mass production of driverless cars. The thought is brilliant to some and fearful to others. So the question is, are driverless cars going to be an everyday part of our lives?

Many people’s fear and caution in regards to autonomous cars are valid. One of the issues that many people have with autonomous cars is the capability for them to be hacked. Theoretically, hackers will find ways to take over and control autonomous cars according to Business Insider. Another major issue with autonomous cars is when they will malfunction. Malfunctions in autonomous cars could cause traffic accidents, which could lead to injuries and death.

Other conflicts with autonomous cars are the interaction between autonomous cars and human drivers on the road. In the event of an accident, will an autonomous car save the life of its passengers or the lives of other people?

On the other side, autonomous cars could lead to major reductions in traffic related accidents. Statistics show that greater than 90% of traffic accidents are directly related to human error, as stated by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. $300 billion in expenses in the United States are the effect of the estimated 33,000 traffic related accidents, as reported by The World Health Organization. Autonomous cars could save many lives in the future.

The opinions from students about autonomous cars are mixed as well. Sophomore Jennifer Accetta said “Although driverless cars seem to be the inevitable future, they will make the human race dependent on faceless machines. They should not be allowed on the road.” Freshman Caleb Vath said, “They’re better than human drivers and…are safer.”

Although it is debatable whether or not autonomous cars will completely replace regular automobiles with human drivers, it is a fact that autonomous cars will continue to be tested and enhanced in the future. Driverless cars are already being tested in the present day, with many companies such as Google testing and improving their autonomous cars. Autonomous cars will be a part of the future, but how much of an impact they make is the part left unanswered.