The Autonomous Age: Benefits of Automated Cars
The autonomous age is shifting from the future into the present on the roads. An automated car is a driverless car implying that humans do not drive the car but rather the computer operates the car. A few years ago driverless cars were fiction and were only shown in science fiction movies, but remarkable advancement in technology has made driverless cars to become a reality. Cars should be automated because of the benefits they come along with including reducing accidents, traffic congestion, increasing lane capacity, and adequate parking (Fagnant and Kockelman 7).
Reducing Accidents through Automation
The biggest advantage of automated cars is that it helps in reducing the number of accidents that are caused by human error since computers will make fewer mistakes compared to humans. People usually get tired after a long journey, and some drive under the influence of alcohol increases the chances of accidents. However, an automated car driven by a computer will never get tired or drink making it safe for the passengers. The USDOT website reported that 94 percent of deadly car accidents are attributed to human error. The report also indicates that autonomous vehicle technologies will greatly reduce deaths on the roads. USDOT stated that automated cars are projected to reduce traffic deaths by 90 percent annually (Goldin 1).
Reducing Traffic Congestion
Moreover, driverless cars will reduce traffic congestion in a significant way. A report from the American Society of Civil Engineers indicated that Americans today spend over 7 billion hours yearly sitting in traffic. Furthermore, the report shows that when a few cars are automated and carefully controlled, the stop-and-go waves caused by humans can be eliminated. It is natural for human drivers to create stop-and-go traffic under normal circumstances even in the absence of disruptions such as merges, lane changes, and bottlenecks. Researchers from the University of Illinois found that when the pace of autonomous cars is controlled, the traffic flow for all cars was eliminated. Additionally, a study by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that decreasing the number of accidents could also reduce traffic congestion since 25 percent of congestion is often as a result of traffic incidents (Goldin 1).
Increasing Lane Capacity
Autonomous vehicles will increase lane capacity. The State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) conducted research indicating that autonomous vehicles could increase highway capacity by 100 percent and expressway travel speed by 20 percent. Furthermore, the study gave a more aggressive estimate that takes into account the possibility of autonomous vehicles moving in a continuous train. This could increase lane capacity even further to 8,000 cars per hour at 60 mph. Similarly, a report from Rand Corporation stated that autonomous cars would not only lead to the rise in overall vehicle travel but also could support higher vehicle throughput rates on the roads. The ability to continually monitor nearby traffic and respond to acceleration adjustment and finely tuned braking will enable autonomous vehicles to reduce headway between vehicles as they travel safely at high speeds. Several studies have indicated that the platooning of autonomous vehicles might increase lane capacity by nearly 500 percent ((Fagnant and Kockelman 11).
Efficient Parking with Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous vehicles will also make parking to be more efficient, unlike the normal cars. This is because driverless cars will remove traveler's demands for lot and street parking. Some towns dedicate more than 30 percent of their land to parking, and automated cars will free up significant space for real estate and other uses. In the case of private autonomous vehicles, commuters may be dropped at their destination, and the car will park itself far from where space is available. Reducing the land used for parking will also reduce the cost of real estate. Similarly, a study conducted by the Future Driving from Ohio University found that driverless cars can be parked in 15 percent less space. Today, cars need to be parked with adequate space between them to allow drivers enough space to exit after parking when removing the car. However, with driverless cars, vehicles can be parked next to each other. Therefore, cities experiencing acute space shortage will benefit from the transition to autonomous cars.
Addressing Concerns: Software Errors and Job Displacement
The opponent of automated cars argues that autonomous vehicles will increase the number of accidents due to software errors. Driverless cars are often controlled with computer software that is not 100 percent error free. Also, people with bad intentions may decide to hack the software systems of these cars and cause accidents. However, these software errors can be repaired and managed properly by experts, unlike the human errors which are difficult to control. With time IT experts will install security systems to curb hackers. Thus, driverless cars will reduce accident rates, rather than increasing accidents (Arslan, Marden, and Shamma 585).
Also, some people may argue that automation of cars will cause many people to lose jobs. This is because no one will need the services of a driver. Hence, the unemployment rate will increase leading to dissatisfaction among some people in the society. However, these drivers can be trained to control cars using computer systems; thus their jobs will be secured.
In Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that autonomous vehicles have both advantages and limitations. Just like other technologies driverless cars will continue to be a controversial topic in the society. However, it is for sure that automated cars will transform the entire transport industry forever. Therefore, Cars should be automated because of the benefits they come along with including reducing accidents, traffic congestion, increasing lane capacity, and adequate parking.
Works Cited
Arslan, Gürdal, Jason R. Marden, and Jeff S. Shamma. "Autonomous vehicle-target assignment: A game-theoretical formulation." Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control 129.5 (2007): 584-596.
Fagnant, Daniel J., and Kara M. Kockelman. "The travel and environmental implications of shared autonomous vehicles, using agent-based model scenarios." Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies 40 (2014): 1-13.
Goldin P. (2018). 10 Advantages of Autonomous Vehicles http://www.itsdigest.com/10-advantages-autonomous-vehicles
