-New Urban Tech- America Moves Closer to Introducing "Driverless" Cars on U.S. Roads

The interior of a luxury self-driving automobile from Mercedes Benz

Autonomous vehicles are hitting the roads in more and more cities around the world, and the United States is coming closer to making them part of everyday transport to change the  face of the auto industry. In September 2017, the  U.S. House of Representatives voted to speed the introduction of self-driving cars by giving the federal government authority to exempt automakers from safety standards not applicable to the technology of these cars, and to permit deployment of up to 100,000 vehicles annually over the next several years.

Luxury auto makers have previously taken the lead in contributing to autonomous technology by offering features such as hands free-driving and self-parking in their latest cars, acting as a prelude to future possibilities in technology that will be available to all auto consumers in the not too distant future.

There are two groups particularly in high favor of  making the vehicles available as soon as possible in the U.S. marketplace: driverless cars offer hope for the elderly, and those with declining eyesight.  The prospect of fully autonomous transport gives them hope of returning to the road and restoring a sense of independence in their daily travels.  Auto industry experts in the "Pro-Autonomous"  corner cite figures that say 94% of car crashes in the US are caused due to human error, and argue that autonomous vehicles could not only aid those increasing in age and declining in their vision or reflex & motor skills, but can generally cut down on accidents on a wide scale.  On the other side of the spectrum are auto enthusiasts who say it's easy to point out the statistical reasons for why driverless cars may be safer on the roads, but as humans how will we feel in the instances where they do make mistakes and cause accidents? Other concerns include the issue of driverless cars replacing jobs that traditionally require drivers, anti-hacking safety and whether or not autonomous vehicles can be used criminally.

Autonomous car and bus tests are currently taking place in US cities of Boston, Las Vegas, and parts of Arizona, with projections for more expansive integration of driverless cars expected to take place in America by as early as 2020. According to a survey conducted by global consulting firm AlixPartners,  many consumers still say they wouldn't purchase a self-driving car, but become far more open to the idea after they try cars with automatic driver-assist features.  Among those surveyed, 49% said they are “confident” or “very confident” of driverless cars, 21% are neutral and 31% are not confident. Ninety percent of those surveyed would be open to having  partially-autonomous car that they could control when they felt it's necessary.