self driving vehicles

Name
Professor
Course
Date
Self-Driving Vehicles
The application of self-driving vehicles is among the modern discussions as the world utilizes technology-based solutions to resolve problems. Research findings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that 90% of truck accidents occur as a result of human errors CITATION Pau17 l 1033 (Wagenseil). The driver was either exhausted, texting, drunk, or overtaking another vehicle. Naturally, the solution becomes rehabilitation or proper training for the driver. However, robots using artificial intelligence have proved effective in auto-piloting airplanes and military weapons. The same concept could apply to vehicles because the electronic section of the structure embedded with microprocessor becomes a fully automated vehicle. The idea sounded fantastic until I started to think about all the unexpected incidents which occur on the highway or any other road. Some of these incidents are busting of tires, exchanging of lanes, and sudden movement of animals and birds. In fact, the whole self-driving vehicle suggests that thousands of Americans will lose their jobs as drivers. Then again, the government may offer free training to other professions so that could give a temporary solution to issues of unemployment. Nevertheless, the self-driving vehicle is an inescapable future solution to road accidents and faster movement of vehicles.
Computerized systems are famous for their ability to adhere to the manufacturer setting.

In so doing, the autonomous vehicles end up obeying all traffic rules and appears perfect in theoretical terms. On the other hand, this feature affects the functionality of the vehicle under normal circumstances because the human driver has the free will to make instant decisions depending on the prevailing conditions CITATION Pau17 l 1033 (Wagenseil). The vehicle will stick to its lane instead of exchanging while other drivers behind and in front freely exchange to move ahead. The general conclusion being that these cars are only suitable for situations where the road is empty and free from human drivers. Unfortunately, these autonomous vehicles will become viable is if they are able to react to darkness, pedestrians, birds on windows, snow, and all manner of unforeseeable events. My understanding of the operational details is that the car should have a mind of its own despite following the regulations set by the developer and the government.
Wagenseil feels that self-driving cars are a safety hazard on the roads because of the pending issue of hacking. I agree that hacking of such cars endangers the lives of people together with the loss of property. A skilled hacker can hack and encrypt new instructions to the vehicle. The car can change directions and take the goods or even people to another destination. More so, kidnapping of children and adults can happen by the push of buttons or change of code instructions. People can steal from freighting companies with reduced risk of capture. However, the author forgets that most embedded electronic systems have anti-virus, passwords, and firewalls which protect the system. I believe that the system can work if more funds are invested in cybersecurity. Moreover, most people around the world embraced the idea of electronic banking system yet the issues of cybersecurity were still there. Therefore, the hacking problem is a risk every person needs to take in order to explore a future with reduced road accidents caused by human errors.
Autonomous vehicles increase the profit margin for companies in the transport industry. Freight rails and trucking sections of the logistics and transportation industry earn the country over 500 billion dollars on an annual basis CITATION SEL17 l 1033 (SELECTUSA). The source shows that the transport sector uses large sums of money paying truckers and other workers. The use of autonomous trucks reduces the labor costs and decreases road accidents. Additionally, the initial test drive appears successful as more vehicles are used to deliver products to clients. For example, there are self-driving trucks in southern California which deliver refrigerators CITATION Dav17 l 1033 (Davies). Davis describes the vehicle as a “robotruck” and talks about how the strategy is still on probation. There is a human driver who checks the movement of the truck while sitting in the cab. The company, Embark, hopes that the “robotruck” will be self-sufficient enough to move without a human supervisor. Personally, these self-driving vehicles appear successful especially in the logistics industry because of the constant need for movement. Besides, there are parts of the country which have empty roads most of the time. These roads may be in the arid and semi-arid areas where few human-driven cars appear.
Unfortunately, the popularity of self-driven cars could imply the retrenchment of millions of drivers across the country. The trend heightens the level of unemployment in the country and affects the living standards of thousands of families. Vanstone describes the effects of displaced workers for their families and the city of Detroit as a whole. He goes further to urge the government and other stakeholders to provide an alternative plan for those workers. In fact, the issue of displaced workers transcends the freight and logistics industry. The problem affects taxi drivers hired through companies such as Uber. According to Vanstone, the CEO of Uber reportedly vowed to buy about 50,000-Tesla cars for a year. As a matter of fact, most companies where movement is necessary may result in buying a fleet of autonomous cars for their employees. All these scenarios lead up to professional drivers in the private and public sectors losing their job. I believe that high unemployment rates are directly proportional to the crime rates of any country or region. There will be issues of insecurity as breadwinners of families struggle to feed their people. Other socioeconomic factors will follow which negatively affect the economy and the safety of people as a whole. Decisively, the automotive industry should work with private and public agencies to reduce the impact of displacing millions of drivers.
Alternatively, the rise of self-driven cars has several positive socioeconomic effects. First of all, the American Trucking Associations released reports showing that the industry lacked about 50,000 drivers and the figure will increase to 175,000 by 2024 when those at work right now start to retire CITATION Leo17 l 1033 (Vanstone). Long distance driving is unfavorable because of drivers spend weeks away from their loved ones and involves working for long hours; For that reason, self-driving trucks are a great addition to the industry. Human drivers can drive or deliver goods to local clients while the rest of the movement utilizes the autonomous trucks. As discussed by Davis, the trucks carry cargo across state lines to deliver refrigerators for the residents of Southern California. In addition, the issue of exhaustion or texting while driving becomes obsolete. There are suggestions for creating a complex system of communication where autonomous vehicles exchange information about traffic jams, traffic regulations, and location. The system reduces head-on collision with other vehicles and human beings as well. Conversely, I wonder if people are willing to trust their lives to a robot. The autonomous cars are great if they are transporting cargo because there is no real danger of death. The situation changes when a person decides to hire an autonomous vehicle. There are issues of vehicle breakdown or malfunction which could hamper movement. I affirm that the transition from human-driven cars to autonomous cars will take time.
Conclusively, the general idea of using super versatile and obedient electronic machines to replace the inadequacy of human drivers is attractive. Personally, I prefer it when the driver does not smoke, drive alcohol, or text when driving. I would prefer for someone to park the car and rest for a few minutes instead of driving while exhausted. Alternatively, self-driving trucks work long hours without suffering fatigue and tend to follow traffic rules perfectly. However, the introduction of these vehicles affects the employment rates in the country. Safety concerns also arise from the fact that hacking is rampant and the robot is unable to perfectly co-exist with human drivers on the road. A self-driving truck fails to make quick decisions necessary to operate on a normal road. My family and friends exchange lanes and make decisions based on the current situation on the road. A car operated using an integrated electronic system will face a challenge making changes such as changing lanes or replacing a busted tire. Despite all these issues, there are some self-driving trucks being used to deliver goods to customers. The testing phase appears successful as companies learn and improve the technology with time. The use of autonomous vehicles is a great technological advancement which will be fully operational in future provided the developers continue to improve the features offered.

Works Cited
BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Davies, Alex. “Self-driving trucks are now delivering refrigerators.” WIRED 13 November 2017.
SELECTUSA. “Logistics and Transportation Spotlight.” 2017. Selectusa. <https://www.selectusa.gov/logistics-and-transportation-industry-united-states>.
Vanstone, Leon. “Society Must Decide How to Respond to Workers Displaced by Technology.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection 2017.
Wagenseil, Paul. “Self-Driving Cars Are Not A safe As Vehicles Operated by Human Drivers.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection (2017).