Humankind is fascinated with advanced technologies, self-driving cars being one of them. With Cruise, Tesla, Alphabet Inc's (GOOGL. O) Waymo, and Aurora Innovation Inc (AUR. O) being some self-driving cars making waves in the industry, the questions remain – are they our near future?
Before we jump to answering the question, we have many aspects and facts to consider. Even though self-driving cars have made it to American and British streets, we still need to see if they are safe and apt for worldwide adoption. Moreover, safety takes precedence over everything when it comes to automobiles. Without further ado, let's explore the crux of the matter.
It is fascinating how self-driving cars are gaining traction around various parts of the world, despite many technical hurdles that are still to be solved. Undeniably, self-driving cars can bring radical changes to our lives. The promise of driverless technology is enticing and has the potential to transform our travelling experience. These cars can be the key to building futuristic cities. However, for complete adoption, there are still some changes to incorporate.
It will involve changes in legislation, road safety rules, and the infrastructure of our cities. Driverless cars also impact the vehicle insurance industry as the question of accountability comes into the picture. Owning a self-driving car in the next ten years is not likely in India, atleast. People will still find it too expensive, and the infrastructural changes also involve a considerable cost.
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Self-Driving Cars in 2024
Two years down the line, the industry will still seek ways to allow these cars to operate effectively and safely in unpredictable human presence. The significant focus for the upcoming years would be enhancing safety. Moreover, there are road conditions that even human drivers are unable to handle – like two vehicles trying to merge at a junction or children playing in the street.
We need to develop hundreds of road condition variables before placing these cars on the street. Currently only a few countries like Japan, have legislation in place for self driving cars, but even they have a mandate that the driver must still have his/her hand on the steering wheel at all times in a self-driving car.
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Apple claims that it might add a self-driving car to its range of products four years from now. By then we might have more clarity about the regulations, road and pedestrian safety, and conversations around insurance. Many first world countries are already actively looking into its legislation.
Eventually, the trend will move from self-driven cars to public transport and self-driven shuttles and pods. There is also a huge potential for such cars to be employed in high-risk environments such as military bases and nuclear plants.
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If you ask us if self-driving cars are the future, we say yes. However, their applicability in certain countries is still highly debated and needs to be tested for safety before implementation. Maybe ten years down the line, self-driving cars will be the new face of auto industries worldwide. But for now, let's keep calm with our conventional cars.
