What are the Dangers of Self-Driving Cars?
Self-driving cars are the auto industry's future, and we will soon see them begin to take the roads by storm. Hundreds of companies are tossing their hats in the ring to develop their own technology behind this innovative way to travel.
While this new technology is exciting, the exponential growth of the industry will create several risks. Drivers should be aware of the dangers as these vehicles become more common.
Vehicle Hacking
As is valid with any form of technology, self-driving cars are also able to be hacked. An experienced hacker would eventually be able to discern how to take over the controls of a vehicle's navigation system and the car's acceleration. This poses a considerable threat to the passenger of the vehicle and the other drivers around them. This would also allow a hacker to steal personal information about the vehicle's owner and either use it for exploitive purposes or hold it for a ransom.
Additionally, this would increase the possibility of terror attacks both internationally and domestically when they take control of a vehicle and use it as a weapon.
Vehicle Malfunction
Technology can malfunction anytime, especially new technology that has not had as much time to work out bugs and kinks in the system. When unexpected glitches occur while a vehicle is on auto-pilot, it will potentially cause the car to act unpredictably or spontaneously stop. This is incredibly dangerous, primarily if it occurs while traveling down a high-speed roadway.
Car Wrecks on the Road
The danger that most people would worry about is traffic accidents. Given that our current infrastructure is not set up to be optimized for self-driving vehicles, the risk of car accidents could be pretty high.
It would be difficult at this point to be able to program into a vehicle the unpredictable nature of roadways and those who use them. Self-driving cars might not be able to adapt to sudden changes made in the middle of traffic quickly.
Additional risks could appear when there are severe weather alerts. Heavy rainfall or snowstorms could have a substantial negative impact on autonomous navigation systems. Reaction times in humans are roughly half a second, whereas it is exponentially more in this new technology.
Where to Turn if a Car Accident has Impacted You
If you are suffering from the effects of a car accident, Shapiro Law Firm, P.A. can help you determine what rights you have to hold the negligent party accountable for their actions. We work with you to see that your rights are heard and pursue the compensation you are rightfully owed after an injury-causing accident.
Call our Tallahassee car accident attorneys today at (850) 629-7226.