Mankind has long dreamed about “self-driving” cars, but oddly enough it may be an Internet company, rather than a car company, that makes self-driving cars a reality. Thanks to Google’s lobbying efforts, self-driving cars are now legal in the state of California. The ramifications are huge.
Google’s primary goal in developing patented self-driving cars is to provide mobility for those who cannot drive themselves. But more importantly, at least in my mind, is the idea of using self-driving cars to reduce gridlock and traffic on our overburdened highways. Bad driving is the main cause of traffic as people seem unable to follow even the simplest rules.
But self-driving cars could sense accidents far in advance, and prevent such issues as rubbernecking, brake checking, and generally bad driving. This technology could also make car trips more enjoyable and allow us time to do other things, like work, catch up on the news, so on and so forth.
With California governor Jerry Brown signing bill SB1298 into law, California’s roads are now open to driverless cars on state streets. Google can now test its driverless cars further, on top of the 300,000 accident-free miles they’ve already racked up…and maybe even eventually market them.
The future is now friends, though I think I’ll keep my hands on the wheel for a few more decades.
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About Christopher DeMorro