What once seemed ridiculously futuristic is now becoming a reality, as the concept of driverless cars is becoming more and more prevalent. Indeed, whilst they are not perfect, as we know from stories relating to driverless car crashes driverless cars take away the most dangerous component of driving – the driver!
In consideration of how subject to error us humans are, the concept of having automated cars that drive themselves is actually a pretty good idea and whilst it might seem a little peculiar to us, just think about the last plane journey you took – as chances are, this was driven predominantly on autopilot rather than at the hands of a pilot.
The largest single factor in car crashes today, is human error, so if we can replace the need to concentrate on the road as we allow sophisticated sensors to monitor and respond to everything our freeways will become much safer places – in addition to being much more productive places, as you will be free to get on with other activities.
Today, if you want a car with sophisticated technology then the first thing you need to do is head to an auto finance calculator such as https://auto.loan/calculator/ in order to work out how much you can afford, before splashing out on a new hi-tech car.
Admittedly, we’re not quite there with driverless cars, certainly not for the masses – but with the inclusion of AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) becoming a staple of many new cars which uses sensors to detect when an obstacle is approaching and applies the brake if a driver is appearing not to respond, we are getting closer to the driverless transition that was once dreamed up in the sci-fi film iRobot.
The infrastructure required for driverless cars, in consideration of the vast amount of sensors required for each stretch of road and the inevitably protracted roll out of driverless vehicles means we are some time away from mainstream driverless cars, yet the possibility of driver-assisted cars is becoming more and more realistic.
Indeed, in the Volvo XC90, as far back as three years ago, it was employing autonomous safety systems to change lanes, keep the car within a lane (in the event a driver fell asleep) and keep the car driving at a set speed whilst autonomously braking and speeding up. Today, we have much more advanced technology being put in our cars, and not just the fancy cars, many cars are being fitted with devices that essentially employ an automated back seat driver who steps in should there be a need, like a lifesaver, that can seriously reduce the impact of a crash by reacting in a split second upon realising the driver is no longer in full control of the vehicle.
In summary, whilst driverless cars do seem to be in our future they seem a somewhat distant reality in terms of the mass market – but without a doubt, in a few decades time people will be nostalgically looking back at the “good old days” when they could drive their own car whilst the young people of tomorrow will be questioning how crazy the world must have been when people were in control of their own cars!
