The Latest In Self-Driving Cars: Are We Moving Too Fast?
As we continue to analyze new technology in our blog, it's worth giving another look at self-driving cars, which has a strong push to become a reality. If you've been following news about self-driving cars, you've probably noticed companies like Google continually strive to get these vehicles out on the roads sooner rather than later. What's concerning, though, is how many glitches these cars have had during road tests.
Recently, Google reported 272 failures and 13 near-misses in their own self-driving car road tests over the last year. Despite this, they and other companies keep insisting self-driving vehicles will soon be out there before we get too old. It opens new debates about whether self-driving cars are really ready for the road and also touches on an even larger issue: are we rushing things?
With a new report out about warnings on self-driving cars, are we rushing new technology and placing convenience above public safety?
Let's look at what's happening and why we may have to slow down on other technologies until we get things right.
Are Self-Driving Cars Being Rushed To Market?
Recently, a group of engineers and automakers came forward to warn the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that self-driving cars aren't really ready for use on public roads. This astonishing opinion from industries who've done prior promoting of the technology already tells us a lot about how complex self-driving cars are.
Questions have already arisen about whether these vehicles can truly think like a human being when in complex traffic situations. Many of these cars still can't navigate in inclement weather due to sensors being obscured. They also can't read poorly marked pavement markings, and they sometimes get confused on traffic light shapes.
You also have the simple concern about not correctly judging unique traffic situations or pedestrians. As we've already seen in movies and real life, artificial intelligence can become wildly unpredictable without further refinement.
Through the above public meeting in D.C. with the NHTSA, these issues were finally brought into the open, despite arguments that self-driving capabilities are already in place on many cars. Many vehicles turn driving capability over to human beings when they can't navigate correctly, but can we rely on this in the future?
Who Gets The Blame If An Accident Occurs?
We have yet to fully comprehend the legal challenges that could occur when or if a self-driving car ends up causing harm to someone. While many officials have confidence these cars can prevent more car accidents, the above Google tests may prove trouble is ahead without more time.
In the public hearings in D.C., asking for more time is the key goal now to make sure serious mistakes don't occur. If they do, it could lead to lengthy litigation on whether the car made the mistake, the car's passenger, or the manufacturer. It could lead to unprecedented legal territory, and perhaps put a halt to a promising technology.
Can We Give Self-Driving Cars More Time To Develop?
President Obama has already proposed a multi-billion-dollar budget to fund development of automated tech, including self-driving cars. We arguably need another decade until the technology gets perfected and not rush it for the sake of profit.
Google has already rushed some other tech to market (e.g. Google Glass) to assuage consumer demand. It's the same with other companies as well, which only leads to more glitches and requiring embarrassing patches, updates, or recalls to provide a quick fix. As a result, we may need to slow the technology train down overall.
