Can self-driving cars lead to risky behavior? By now, we know they’re the next step in auto technology. We know there’s a race to be the first to sale them to consumers. But what about after such cars are sold in droves?
The promise of a drive free car could lead to less crashes. But it could also lead to risky behaviors such as texting, reading, even having sex behind the wheel. This worries people like Barrie Kirk, head of Canadian Automated Vehicles Centre of Excellence (CAVCOE). Kirk worries drivers will put themselves in emergency situations they may not be able to get out of. Kirk, and other safety experts, believe self-driving vehicles will make distracted driving far worse than it already is. They’ve even proven it. There was an experiment conducted between Tesla Model S and their owners. They used the Tesla Autopilot function, which lets cars do the driving with little human assistance or interference. But despite all this, when drivers took their hands off the steering wheel, accidents almost occurred. The test showed the computer can’t control everything, like lane changing. And if lane marks are worn out or nearly invisible, then drivers had better be paying attention.
So just because a self-driving car can do many things for you on the road doesn’t give drivers the license to act like a fool. You still have to apply common sense and the lessons we learned in driver’s education. Keep your hands on the wheel. Keep your eyes on the road. Keep your smartphones out of reach. Keep your hormones in check. Like in other aspects of life, technology can make it easier. But you still need to put some human effort behind it. Yes, we have access to lots of knowledge, but I have to do the research before I obtain the knowledge. It’s the same thing with a self-driving car. So I ask you, will your self-driving car lead to your risky behavior?