Fully autonomous vehicles are the main innovation you’ll see on highways of the near future. These driverless cars will be a revolutionary game changer, transforming how people conduct their daily activities. Here are the pros, cons, and some questions that you may ask regarding autonomous vehicles.

The Pros

A study by the NHTSA has shown that the majority of road accidents are caused by human mistakes. Eliminating the human-error component behind driving ensures better road safety. With fewer possibilities of accidents caused by things like miscalculations, drunk driving, speeding and texting, people will be generally safer. There will be a lowered risk of endangering pedestrians, drivers, passengers and property.

Also, more public transport could be offered with autonomous vehicles providing quicker transportation. Autonomous vehicles have reliable sensors that can detect when other cars are close by. These vehicles can even communicate with each other, and, because of this, road congestion could become a thing of the past. More importantly, a highly-advanced form of technology means that these vehicles could reduce carbon footprint and help save the environment. These futuristic cars also offer many economic advantages by reducing possible destruction of life and property.

The Cons

Driverless cars are not without possible complications. For one thing, legal infrastructure isn’t yet in place for autonomous vehicles, so figuring out how to get things done will take a lot of time and money. For example, according to Dolman Law, in the case of an accident, figuring out who is at fault when one of the vehicles lacks a driver can be less straightforward than when there are drivers responsible for each vehicle.

On top of that, there are many other considerations which can lead to accidents. For example, Vest brings up that hacking and glitches in the machinery of autonomous cars could cause an accident. Perhaps, the worst possible scenario here is that many people will lose their jobs, from public transport drivers, traffic aids who guide the cars and other workers involved in the transportation industry. Also, in the early stages of the implementation of these autonomous vehicles, the price of each unit will undoubtedly be exorbitant, making it cost-prohibitive for ordinary citizens to buy.

Questions to Ask

Since this is a fairly new industry, there are many impending questions to ask. When drivers no longer control their cars, what happens when there is a collision? Who will be held liable? Will the manufacturers be responsible for these machines that they sell? What are the possible consequences for insurance? On top of all these questions, there are many legal considerations because there simply are no rules and regulations in place for autonomous vehicles.

With this industry looming on the horizon, these are the issues that everyone must think about. There was a time when everyone thought that video conferencing and SMS messaging systems were the stuff of science fiction only. Even the TV was called an idiot box because of the fear that moving images would kill everyone’s imaginations. Being mindful of the pros and cons of fully autonomous vehicles can help everyone prepare for their inevitable arrival.