Redefining a Computer Crash

There are more and more stories concerning new automobile technology. President Obama even recently “test drove” new vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology. He wasn’t on the road or even in a real car but he virtually tested some technology of the future and gave it his seal of approval. Autonomous vehicles are also hot topics and are seen as an inevitable advancement in personal travel.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conducted a survey of over 200 experts in the industry to see where they thought the autonomous vehicle was going. As a group they believe that by the year 2030 all 50 states will have passed legislation making self-driving vehicles legal on American roads and interstates. This will enable the cars to be produced without standard equipment like mirrors, horns, and emergency brakes. By 2035, the experts say, we will have seen the last control pedals and steering wheels.

When asked what would give the least issue in getting these vehicles on the road, they answered that cost would be a small problem as the technology will get cheaper when it becomes mass-produced. Also infrastructure in our current roadways would cause little difficulty being modified to accommodate these cars. They have great faith in the technology itself and do not believe it will cause problems.

The “roadblocks”, as it were, will come from policymakers who may stumble over things like legal liability for problems with the cars, and they expect consumer to be less trusting of an autonomous vehicle without equipment to allow the option of a human being-controlled experience.

Personally, I think the public will be the biggest obstacle. It’s hard to put your faith in technology when your life is at stake. If the car’s computer crashes it stands to reason that the car will follow suit. The horror of not being able to control one’s destiny at that point is unimaginable.