The pros and cons of driverless cars

The idea of a vehicle that you can just command to go to a destination without having to constantly control is a beguiling one. Pizano Insurance serving Wayzata, MN provides some pros and cons for the still in development technology.

A driverless car would help the passengers free up time for other tasks, including conducting business on your mobile phone, watching content on a video screen, or even getting some extra sleep on the way to work. A driverless car will not engage in distracted or drunk driving. As part of a smart roads network, a driverless car would be able to map out the quickest route to a destination, avoiding traffic jams, accidents, and road construction. The technology will provide transportation options for people who would not be able to operate a motor vehicle, such as the elderly and people with vision problems.

Driverless cars have some drawbacks as well. Companies such as Google as well as a number of automobile manufacturers have been working on the technology for the past ten years and have yet to get all the bugs out. The problem of building a system, with computer navigation technology, that can do everything that a human driver can do has proven to be daunting. Some accidents, such as the one that temporarily halted Uber’s research and development program, have occurred. Other problems include how driverless cars, which always obey the traffic laws, will interact with vehicles with drivers who often do not as well as public acceptance of the technology. True driverless cars may be as much as ten years away from being common on the road.

For questions about driverless cars and all aspects of auto insurance, feel free to contact Pizano Insurance serving Wayzata, MN,