Self-driving taxis are said to be the way of the future, with major car companies and rideshare giants developing models that are expected to be on the road in 5 years. In fact, one rideshare giant said in the next 10 years, the majority of vehicles on the road will be driver-less.
This idea of autonomous vehicles has been largely controversial due to safety concerns, and many people are expressing that they would never be comfortable riding in a car without a driver. However, these companies are introducing driver-less models faster than anyone originally expected.
In Singapore, a company called nuTonomy released their first self-driving taxi, and within a few months of its debut, the company has reported an accident. The car crashed into a truck while attempting to switch lanes, however there were no injuries in the crash. Engineers are still determining the exact cause of the incident, but regardless of the cause, the accident has caused much conversation around the issue. Are driverless cars and taxis safe? Should the driverless vehicle save pedestrians or its riders if it has the choice? Should we put so much trust in technology?
Rideshare company Uber also announced that they would be releasing their very own autonomous vehicle operations within the next month. It will be interesting to see how Uber’s long awaited autonomous vehicle handles the pressure.
Accidents like these make consumers even more uncomfortable with the idea of self-driving vehicles, and adds to the skepticism that already exists. There are still many barriers that companies will have to overcome before a completely driver-less future becomes reality. Buckle your seat belts though, because it is going to be a bumpy ride!
