Introduction
Self-driving cars are safer than human drivers. It’s been a big news story lately, and it’s true. The more we learn about autonomous vehicles, the more obvious it is that they’re going to improve safety on our roads dramatically in the coming years. In fact, there’s even some evidence that self-driving cars could reduce traffic collisions as much as 90 percent over time—and that’s not just because they don’t drink or text while driving.
Human drivers are responsible for more than 90 percent of crashes, a figure that drops to just 5 percent when you factor in car tech.
You may not know it, but your car is a death trap. We all know that human drivers are responsible for more than 90 percent of crashes, a figure that drops to just 5 percent when you factor in car tech. That’s why self-driving cars are safer than human drivers–and will be even safer once they’re completely autonomous.
The fact that people trust self-driving cars more than they do their own fleshy bodies is evidence enough: A recent survey found that 74 percent of Americans would rather ride in an autonomous vehicle than go solo behind the wheel themselves–even though their own driving record is so much better than those of autonomous vehicles (or AVs).
Self-driving cars have become much better at detecting pedestrians and cyclists than human drivers.
Self-driving cars have become much better at detecting pedestrians and cyclists than human drivers. In fact, autonomous vehicles are so good at detecting pedestrians that they’re often able to do so even before the person has stepped into the road.
This is because they use more sophisticated sensors than humans do: most self-driving cars have multiple cameras (often one on each side), radar, and lidar–a laser sensor–all of which contribute to their ability to see what’s around them more clearly than we can. And while it might seem like an obvious advantage for these machines over us fleshy mortals, there are still plenty who aren’t convinced this technology will ever be safe enough for widespread use on public roads (including Elon Musk).
People in self-driving cars are less likely to get distracted, too.
A self-driving car has no distractions. It doesn’t get distracted by text messages, or chatting with passengers, or looking at scenery. A human driver, on the other hand? Not so much.
The average American spends about 50 minutes each day behind the wheel–and that’s not counting time spent in traffic jams or at stoplights! That’s a lot of time for our brains to wander off into la-la land instead of focusing on driving safely. In fact, studies show that people take their eyes off their roadways an average of 4 out of every 100 seconds when they’re behind the wheel–and that doesn’t even include talking on cell phones!
Most people don’t trust autonomous vehicles yet.
Most people don’t trust autonomous vehicles yet. This is due to the fact that they are still relatively new, and not very common yet. People are not used to them, so it’s understandable that you’d be hesitant about hopping in one yourself.
But don’t worry! As time goes on and more self-driving cars hit the road, your trust will grow along with their presence on our streets and highways.
But they really should be driving them, and soon.
But they really should be driving them, and soon.
Self-driving cars are way safer than human drivers. They don’t get distracted or drunk, they don’t get tired, and they can be programmed to follow the rules of the road perfectly–which means fewer accidents overall. In fact, one study found that autonomous vehicles could reduce traffic fatalities by up to 90 percent! That’s why some experts think self-driving cars will save lives in ways we never imagined possible before now: by preventing crashes instead of just responding after they happen (like emergency responders do).
That’s all well and good for people who live in big cities with lots of roads where there isn’t much wildlife roaming around (and even then). But what about places where there are fewer roads? Or places without paved surfaces at all? Well…we’re working on it!
Autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers.
Autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers. Studies have shown that self-driving cars are less likely to crash and cause accidents, but they do happen more often than you might think.
This is because autonomous vehicles tend to be involved in minor accidents that don’t cause any injuries or property damage. This may seem like bad news for your insurance premiums, but it’s actually good news for everyone else on the road: since self-driving cars rarely get into serious crashes, fewer people will be hurt–and therefore there will be fewer lawsuits against car manufacturers!
Conclusion
The bottom line is this: autonomous vehicles are safer than human drivers. We know this because they’re better at detecting obstacles and reacting to them, they don’t get distracted as easily, and they have fewer crashes overall. But people are still hesitant about trusting self-driving cars–and that’s why we need more of them on the road right now! If you have the opportunity to ride in one of these vehicles, I highly recommend it.
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