Autonomous Cars Could Soon Reduce Accidents In US

Earlier this week, we wrote a blog post on the devastating car accidents that are caused every day in Boston and the rest of the United States because of distracted driving.

The truth is that the most serious and fatal car accidents are the result of driver errors, which is why experts predict that these accidents could be significantly reduced after self-driving automobiles become the norm.

While autonomous cars may seem like part of the distant future, experts predict that many of us will own one in our lifetimes. According to a new report by IHS Automotive, many auto manufacturers already have plans to put their first self-driving cars into production.

The report stated that by 2035, about half of the vehicles on the road will drive on their own. The report predicted that by 2050, almost all vehicles on the road will have the ability to operate autonomously.

Perhaps the best part of the new technology is that car accident is expected to decline steadily as more and more self-driving vehicles hit the roads. Not only that, air pollution and traffic congestion are also expected to improve.

While many people may be eager to get their hands on a self-driving vehicle as soon as possible, experts caution that the first models will be expensive and will likely require a human “co-pilot” to be on stand-by in case of a technology error.

But IHS’s report predicted that by 2030, self-driving cars will be available that don’t require any human involvement. To imagine that distracted driving could be a non-issue in the near future is quite amazing.

Source: NBC News, “Self-driving cars popular by mid-century: study,” Paul A. Eisenstein, Jan. 6, 2014