steering. No busy hands. No painful feet. Just a car moving on its own programmed-accord. That is fun if you look at it. A self-driving car is the next big technology the world seems to be gradually noticing. Car manufacturers and major tech companies like Google, Uber, Tesla, and, most recently, Apple are competing to stay on the cutting edge of this technology. But are humans really ready to give up the wheel?
Have you ever thought about the power that’s in your hands when you drive a car? You driving past thousands of other cars: overtaking; cursing and spitting at other drivers; showing off your ability to drift; telling other drivers they have to wait for you when you try to get in their lane; braking simultaneously with your heart when a pedestrian wants you to end their life; just sitting behind the wheel moving your hands as you wish. Those things are what driving yourself gives. It's quite remarkable when we entrust all these powers to a driver. Although, the human factor still proves itself when a personal driver gets behind the wheel. But what would be the fate of these powers when we give it to programmed cars?
In 2013 for instance, 6450 Nigerians lost their lives on our roads, which includes 4552 men, 1398 women, 299 boys and 201 girls. Between 2009 and 2013, 30435 people were killed in road accidents in Nigeria (This is about the size of a European city, e.g. Gyula, Hungary). Also, 28480 men, 9198 women, 1520 boys and 859 girls, a total of 40057 people were injured in road accidents in 2013 while 183531 people were injured in road accidents between 2009 and 2013. 1.3 million people globally die every year in automobile accidents. Those are staggering numbers. It’s the ninth leading cause of death globally (just ahead of HIV/AIDS), and it’s the only non-disease entry on the top ten list. From the causes of these accidents ranging from drunk drivers to texting while driving, do we have the power to reduce accidents on our roads while remaining behind the wheel?
In United State of America, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 80% of traffic accidents and 16% of traffic fatalities are related to distracted driving. This proves that self-driving cars can reduce traffic accidents. When a car can easily detect and control the possibility of an accident, the probability of the accident happening is reduced. This indirectly means that self-driving cars can reduce the finances spent on maintenance, repairs, and medical bills. Fuel efficiency could be increased, saving a few naira at the gas station as well.
Professor Engin Kirda, a systems, software, and network security expert, of the Northeastern University, was recently asked if he would feel safe being in a self-driving car. He said:
"In 2017: Absolutely not if the car is completely autonomous. In 2027: Possibly. I think a lot will depend on how mature the technology will become."
Recently, an engineer from Tesla died in a self-driving car. It was noted that he trusted the technology so much not to make mistake. However, with each passing day, it becomes more and more glaring that a self-driving car does not guarantee safety.
A self-driving driving car can be hacked. If a self-driving car has significant computations connecting to the outside world via the cloud, needs some sort of internet-connectivity for its functionality, or completely relies on outside sensors for making all decisions, then yes, it might be susceptible to hackers. In principle, any computerised system that has an interface connecting it to the outside world can be hacked. This means your directions can be changed, a car can be used to do things that are considered dangerous, it can be used to kill intentionally, and you are more vulnerable at every point.
Although, human error might have contributed to road accidents, it seems self-driving cars are, infact, more dangerous. How will we program self-driving vehicles to confront situations where an accident is inevitable? What if the outcome varies based on different maneuvers? There are times when you need to increase your speed instead of breaking to avoid an obstacle. What if the car was programmed to brake? A self-driving car does not possess emotions and instincts. All it has is the programmed ability to make calculations in fractions of milliseconds. Imagine if a self-driving car is confronted with the possibility of killing a child and hitting another car. Its calculations responds that there is a 80% possibility of survival for the child and 20% for the car. The self-driving car, responding to these calculations will run into the child. A self-driving car lacks the ability to feel and react reflexively when in different situations and this makes humans more vulnerable.
Fear and indifference remains a reason not to trust self-driving cars. In a 2014 survey, more than 20 percent of respondents in the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Japan said they just wouldn’t ride in a self-driving vehicle, period. But even those who aren’t backing off in fear don’t necessarily trust cars to drive themselves. In 2014, just over one-third of those in the U.S., given the chance to ride in an autonomous car, said they’d watch the road the whole time. This helps to prove that the willingness to leave ourselves to an autonomous vehicle is considered, generally, as dangerous. Even in airplanes, people don't trust an invisible pilot just making announcements out of the blues.
Self-driving cars may be an important move in our history. Truly, it is. It has a good potential to reduce accidents. It also reduces a cost on maintenance and repairs. However, the human factor is a very important factor that defeats the superiority of any machine. A self-driving car can be hacked by an unknown hacker sitting in a room, probably in Yaba. The car lacks the ability to make instinctive decisions at different situations. It may consider a gabbage bin before considering a crossing pedestrian, depending on its calculations. Everyone is simply concerned about the Fate of The Furious in a self-driving car.

By Anifowoshe Ibrahim (Ibankhan)

Source : http://motorfixer.com/self-driving-cars-good-or-bad/