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COULD ROBOTS TAKE OVER
TRANSPORTATION?
Sarah, Alisha, Jasmine and Daisy
Driverless cars are being tested for the first time in UK history.
In January 2015, driverless cars were tested in Greenwich,
something that could be a revolutionary invention.
An autonomous car, also known as a driverless car is
an automated vehicle capable of fulfilling the main transportation
capabilities of a traditional car.
Driverless car projects are being hosted in Greenwich, Bristol,
Coventry, and Milton Keynes. By May 2015, they are said to be
launched to the public, this could be a major breakthrough in science history as this could affect
future generations.
A driverless car is embedded with multiple sensors. But are these engines enough to be
equivalent to the human brain’s capabilities and reflexes?
Now, there are two sides to this invention. Some may say that their emotional side would take
over their conscience and will never agree to depend on a ‘killing machine’ for transportation.
Others may argue by saying that in our modern world, we practically depend on ‘robots’ for
most things such as a reverse microchip which activates when cars move backwards. In today’s
society, drivers would not be able to park safely without reverse microchips and it in itself is a
sort of robot.
People’s first reaction will be something along the lines of, ‘Oh my
goodness! That is absolutely terrifying.’ The Headmistress of
Ricards Lodge High School Mrs Jerrard states that there is a
rational side to this invention, this could reduce traffic accidents,
therefore reducing loss of life.
Alternatively, a driver who has been driving for twenty years states that it is understandable; this
could mean that on long journeys, all the passengers are able to sleep, which could stop people
from driving when they are tired. Everyone can agree that there are possible advantages and
disadvantages of this invention.
Some may argue saying that it will cause fewer on-road collisions which may result in better
traffic flow and increase roadway capacity. As most cars would be autonomous, higher speed
limits can be presented, as all engines would be going at the same pace making journeys much
smoother. Likewise, in an autonomous car, it would not matter if the occupants were under age,
over age, unlicensed, blind, distracted, intoxicated, or impaired, as they all would be able to
board the vehicle.
In spite of the various benefits to increased vehicle automation, some foreseeable challenges
persist because if something goes wrong in driverless transport, the government would not be
able to blame the driver. The liability would fall with the car manufacturer. Naturally, humans
like to be in control of everything; therefore, many people will be hesitant to give up control of
their car to a robot. Additionally, a car’s software could be easily diverted by anyone wishing to
cause harm to others.
In worse cases, if a passenger in the driverless car is inexperienced and a sudden situation
where manual driving is required, it can’t be responded to, as ‘robots’ won’t have the human
response. Moreover, if driverless cars were established; it can cause a huge loss of drivingrelated jobs.
According to scientists and car-computing experts,
within the next decade, a mixture of driverless, semiautonomous and manual cars could be on UK roads.
Although, there is still some speculation on who will
be legally responsible in the event of a driverless car
crash according to Labour MP Louise Ellman. "Who
is liable? Is it the manufacturer of the vehicle, or the
technology in it? Is it the driver?" she said. Driverless car technologies are still being looked
over by Tech Monsters like Google and Apple. Moreover, the public still needs to be reassured
about the practicalities, systems, data collection and safety issues about driverless cars. So far,
it seems like this invention could be the revolutionary start of something new!