The Pros and Cons of Self-Driving Cars

They may look like something out of the television cartoon show The Jetsons, but self-driving cars are around the corner—pun intended. The question is are they safe. The short answer to that question is that the technology does have the potential to be safer than human driven cars, but there is much more work and testing to be done before we get to that point. Read on to learn what a chiropractor in Dallas has to say about self-driving cars and your safety.

What is a Self-Driving Car?

According to the website searchenterpriseai.techtarget.com, “A self-driving car (sometimes called an autonomous car or driverless car) is a vehicle that uses a combination of sensors, cameras, radar and artificial intelligence (AI) to travel between destinations without a human operator.”

There are currently six levels of automation as defined by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Humans do all of the driving at Level 0; there are advancing degrees of assistance in Levels 1 through 4; and the vehicle’s automated driving system (ADS) does all of the driving in all circumstances at Level 5.

As of now, carmakers have reached Level 3, where an ADS can perform all driving tasks under certain circumstances, such as parking the car. Level 5 is actually a few years off, because there are manufacturing requirements yet to be addressed before self-driving cars can be purchased and used on public roads.

How Do Self-Driving Cars Work?

Believe it or not, a self-driving car is a lot like a video game. Autonomous cars have lasers, cameras and radar that provide a 360-degree view around the car. These are the sensors that combine with GPS and other mapping technology to determine the car’s exact position and recreate surroundings in a virtual 3D image. The car’s computer system then processes this information in order to make driving decisions.

Are Self-Driving Cars Really Safer?

That’s a very difficult question to answer because there are so many other questions that must be answered first. For example, there are a number of ethical questions: How does a car weigh property damage vs. hitting a dog? In an inevitable fatal collision, how does a car choose between the death of a passenger and the death of a pedestrian? Should cars even be pre-programmed for solutions to these dilemmas?

Even though self-driving cars may reduce the number of times cars will cause harm, these questions need answers.

Also, driverless cars are at risk for cyber attacks. Imagine a hacker commandeering the software in one of these cars and running it off the road.

Needless to say, car manufacturers and society have a ways to go before the roads are filled with self-driving cars. In the meantime, drive carefully, and see a Dallas chiropractor if you are in an accident.

Meet the Doctor

Dr. Zinovy Chukhman is a chiropractor in Dallas who specializes in treating patients who have an injury that is the result of a motor vehicle accident. He offers chiropractic care, rehabilitation, nutritional counseling and pain management.