The Future Of Automated Travel

Automated vehicle-to-vehicular communication systems, better known as V2X, have been considered essential for fully automated road travel, which can effectively reduce road fatalities in the U.S., currently numbering more than 40,000 a year. The technology allows cars to communicate with each other through GPS, Bluetooth, or radio frequency identification to improve their ability to predict potential collisions and avoid them. A car may be able to reroute itself to avoid collisions with other vehicles, but may not be able to avoid collisions all together. With full automation, a car will only need to take few steering turns to get to where it’s going, which minimizes the risk of accidents. These systems also reduce traffic congestion by allowing a driver to arrive at his destination on time. Self driving vehicles are also expected to cut down on fuel consumption since the driver is no longer required to sit in the Traffic Stop sign every time he wants to turn right or left.

What Safety Features Are Being Introduced?

Automatic safety belts, air bags, and vehicle Stability Assist (AVA) are other safety features being introduced to fully automate cars. Automatic safety belts help in preventing accidents by absorbing the shock caused when a car crashes into a vehicle or object. Air bags prevent serious injuries by deploying instantly in the event of a crash, while Stability Assist assists in maintaining a steady speed, which avoids accidents. These features are expected to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. It is believed that with these technologies, traffic fatalities could reduce by up to 15% yearly.

Many auto manufacturers, tech enthusiasts, and safety advocates are supporting the use of an autonomous car technology. The primary reason why we must remain cautious about fully self-driving vehicles operating on public roads is the lack of regulatory guidelines. There are many loopholes in current laws, which allow cars, bikes, trucks, buses, and even RVs to drive themselves on public highways. As a result, many innovators and automotive enthusiasts believe fully self-driving vehicles will pose severe safety threats.

Other Developments With Self Driving Cars

Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go for self-driving cars to be introduced on American roads. There is still much that needs to be done to ensure the safety of drivers in the operation of these vehicles. One important area that still needs to be addressed is the creation of standard protocols to govern the safe operation of self-driving vehicles on public highways and roads.

Currently, it is estimated that there are around 100 autonomous vehicles on American streets today. However, it is still difficult to ascertain the true number of autonomous vehicles on the road, considering that there are so many vehicle owners who do not actually know how to operate such vehicles. With millions of dollars being invested each year in research and development for new autonomous vehicles, it is expected that technology related to autonomous vehicles will grow exponentially in the coming years.

Use Of Self Driving Vehicles

In the meantime, self-driving vehicles present a great deal of promise for business owners as well as consumers. As long as human drivers are allowed to use their cars, there will be a significant amount of time and money saved on fuel expenses and increased productivity. This will, in turn, have a positive impact on the American economy. As the self-driving vehicles become more popular, many experts anticipate an increase in the mass production of fully self-driving cars. In the end, no one really knows what the future holds, but with the progress being made by autonomous vehicles today, it is easy to see that the future looks very bright indeed.