Self-driving cars have been a topic of interest in the automotive industry ever since Tesla introduced its autopilot feature back in 2015. There has, however, been plenty of skepticism about the safety of autonomous vehicles. Many people feel more at ease if they’re in control behind the wheel and are reluctant to relinquish this control to AI or a computer. This lack of confidence has left many experts in the industry questioning whether self-driving cars are the future. They may be touted as the next generation of road travel after electric cars, but are they really?
Automation Leading The Way
Self-driving cars have a lot to offer commuters who spend long hours on the road or who need to travel during peak traffic times when congestion is at an all-time high. The desired impact of autonomous vehicles is to create a mode of transportation that requires minimal input or action from the driver, thereby making life easier in the process. The future of technology is all about automation and autonomous vehicles follow the same premise.
Removing the Human Element
The prospect of vehicles replacing human drivers excites many people, especially Titans in the automotive industry such as Elon Musk. Many companies worldwide, especially the United States, have started to implement self-driving technology into their day-to-day business strategies to cut costs and employ fewer people.
The technology has been put in place to streamline business functions and the day-to-day lives of the average human being. However, self-driving cars, up until this point, have failed to take off as initially expected, as there are currently no self-driving cars for sale to the general public. Car manufacturers and producers need to work to change the opinion surrounding automated vehicles before mass producing a product that has still not been fully embraced.
Personal Preference A Priority
People around the world still prefer to drive themselves and dual-rear-wheel trucks, or dually trucks, are some of the most popular vehicles on the market today. The advantages of dually trucks are increased control on the roads due to the four-wheel drive as well as impressive towing power. This makes these vehicles extremely useful for companies in industries such as construction. These types of conventional yet technologically advanced road vehicles are still dominating the market in 2022 and even though some are equipped with autonomous driving features, they are still a long way away from being completely self-driving.
The Problem is Not Technology, It’s People
The technology being developed for the use of automated cars is at an advanced stage. Experts at McKinsey predict that self-driving cars are going to make major inroads by 2030, with as many as 30% of vehicles on the road relying on autonomous technology. Yet there remains uncertainty over how the public will react to the official release of automated vehicles on the market. It remains to be seen how companies developing this technology will provide assurances over safety and control to ensure the success of self-driving cars.
