Unregulated fully automated driverless cars pose many threats to the American people. The obvious threat is that one small error in a self-driving car’s driving algorithm could not only endanger the lives of its passengers but also the lives of others on the road or in nearby buildings. Because self-driving cars would have to interact with each other in order to navigate the roads effectively without colliding with other automated vehicles, a technological error could affect thousands or hundreds of thousands of cars at once.
There is also concern that the availability of self-driving cars might give terrorists a new weapon against the American people. A car is essentially a 2-ton metal missile that is in the garage of almost every American citizen. If a malicious organization managed to hack into the software of these automated vehicles, it could lead to a massive loss of life and property. For example, if all the vehicles in New York City suddenly accelerated to one hundred miles per hour without warning, the damage would be catastrophic. This danger is not what comes to mind when most people consider the future possibility of self-driving cars.
Another lens through which regulatory bodies will have to view their policies regarding self-driving cars is the effect that the widespread distribution of these cars would have on the American economy. America already faces the risk of a shrinking job market from the looming threats of automation posed by AI. Adding workerless transportation into the mix might be too much for the market to handle. Possible jobs that might be affected include delivery drivers, truck drivers, ride-share workers, taxi drivers, and bus drivers.
Although no fully automated self-driving cars have been made available for consumers and businesses to utilize on a wide scale as of yet, United States technology, transportation, safety, economic, and defense policymaking bodies will have to weigh the benefits of this new technology with the potential threats that it poses. A complete ban on fully self-driving cars in the United States is unlikely due partly to the privatization of transportation technologies in America, and pressure from foreign countries with less strict regulations. The United States already allows a degree of autonomy in vehicles across the United States, which includes the ability to park and drive on highways. Still, we have yet to see this technology reach a degree of proficiency and popularity to which consumers and businesses trust it enough to allow self-driving cars to become commonplace
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