Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Driverless Cars Hit the Roads

1.2 million people die in car accidents each year around the globe according to the World Health Organization.  In 2009, over 30,000 alcohol related car accidents occurred in the United States alone, with 2,800 of these occurring in California according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System Encyclopedia (FARS).  Everyone knows that drunk driving has been a major player in the amount of car crashes and fatalities seen in the United States, but did you know that drowsy driving is also a large factor?  41% of drivers admit that they have dosed off while driving causing 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and over 100,000 accidents each year (American Automobile Association (AAA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). 

Watching the road narrow, as my eye lids get heavier and heavier with the desire to stay awake screaming from my body as I try to fight against the sleeping urge while I am traveling 60 mph down the freeway.  This reoccurring nightmare has forced me to wake up in a sweat with a large pit in my stomach of the fear of crashing into a car around me.  In today’s competitive environment, people are forced to work 18 hour days that result in these intense lifestyles, which have you begging for more time as you race against the clock.  But whatever you do, don’t drive a car or let someone get inside of car when they have not had any sleep.  It is just as bad as drunk driving because sleep deprivation will impair your judgment.  Situations like these are the reason why naps were invented!  Napping is my favorite thing to do and helps me get through the day in a healthier way than energy drinks, caffeine or even 5-hour energy can.  A 15 minute cat-nap in a car can save an innocent life long enough for someone to reach their warm, cuddly bed.  Another way of looking at it is, if a person injured or even killed someone in a tragic accident because they fell asleep at the wheel, then they would never be able to sleep after that incident.  So sleep now and drive later… or take a cab, the bus, call a friend or walk. 

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way that could cut the number of car accidents a year in half?  Not having to deal with the stress of driving through traffic congested areas. An option that would allow people to text and talk on their phones while sitting in the driver’s seat.  Being able to have a few drinks at a party and not have to worry about having to call a taxi or burdening your friend to take you home.  Or for people that can’t obtain a driver’s license, the freedom of operating and owning a car.  Well all of these things are possible with the invention of driverless cars

Google's Driverless Car provided by Edmunds Inside Line

According to the New York Times, Google has been test-driving their version of a driverless car, which has turned out to be a Toyota Prius with a weird metal attachment on the roof.  Little does anyone know that this piece of metal is the base for cameras, lasers and radar censors that track the surrounding traffic.  7 cars have been tested that each have driven 1,000 miles each without human intervention and 140,000 miles in total with only minor help.  The car would have been accident proof, if it wasn’t rear-ended at a traffic light.  Don’t get too excited because mass production is still a few years off. 

Driverless cars will revolutionize transportation by decreasing air pollution, since the cars can drive closer together and still be safe.  These so called “robot” cars are less likely to crash and so can be made of lighter material, which will reduce gas consumption.  Artificial intelligence is all the craze in Silicon Valley and the technology that has made these cars possible.  But can we really trust these cars with our lives?  Will they ever malfunction resulting in a fatal accident?  It is too early to tell, but the statistics so far have disproved these theories.  Google is doing everything in their power to run as many test simulations as possible in order to work out any of the kinks.  If driverless cars are no longer a dream of the future but have become a reality, what else is being secretly tested in Silicon Valley?  We will just have to wait and see what the next big technological boom will bring and hope that it will change society for the better. 

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