Benefits and Risks of Driverless Cars

This research paper examines the emerging technology of driverless cars, analyzing both their potential benefits and drawbacks. The paper argues that driverless cars could significantly reduce traffic accidents, improve fuel efficiency, and optimize traffic flow. However, it also acknowledges potential risks such as sensor failures, cyber attacks, and ethical dilemmas related to decision-making in autonomous systems.

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Name
Professor’s Name
Course and Section
Date
Research paper
Introduction
There are various questions that have arisen regarding the introduction of driverless
vehicles, its benefits and disadvantages. With the huge advancement in technology in the present
century, several automakers have announced the emergence of driverless vehicles that boost of
the functionality without any need of drivers (Chopra). The driverless vehicles are fully
autonomous cars that can not only transform the lives of people and make it convenient for them
to visit places but will also consider the safety and driver support technologies with ease and
efficiency. Various researches were done, which showed that the driverless car programs could
not only bring more benefits that its drawbacks, but would also transform the entire way of
transportation facilities (Kharpal).
Thesis
It has been estimated that there are more than 30,000 people who die every year due to
traffic related accidents and according to the beliefs of automakers, the self driving cars or
driverless vehicles can reduce the numbers of accidents largely. According to Coelingh, the
autonomous vehicles could improve the lives of people and thereby provide better and safe
measures for people to travel by car. The driverless cars have huge potential to make traffic safer

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and create a place where accidents are less likely to happen in the future (Colias, Mike, and Mike
Spector).
Argumentative thesis
The flow of traffic must be better and fuel should be consumed in less amounts as well,
which could improve the convenience of people and make it safer for people to travel by car. The
cars, being automated, would less likely become subjected to accidents because of human errors,
which could also reduce the traffic congestion. There are plans of enabling more self-driving
taxies as well that had been focused on reducing the traffic and numbers of cars on the road and
make sure that the traffic would be managed properly (Marco 4).
Body of the argument
Evidences to support benefits of driverless cars
With the emergence of driverless vehicles, it would also be easy to optimise the efficacy
in braking systems and acceleration, furthermore could enhance the fuel efficiency and decrease
the emissions of harmful gases like carbon dioxide (Knight). The autonomous cars would also
reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide, that was previously estimated as 300 million tons every
year. Because the autonomous cars will do most of the things related to driving, so the passenger
or driver can make out for most of the time in the vehicle (Lane). Due to the reduction in traffic
congestion, it would also be easy to reach the destination from the source within less time. Thus,
it could be understood that driverless vehicles would nearly save 1 billion hours once the
autonomous cars would be available in the road. There would be increase in safety and lesser
traffic as well, which could determine the optimum road to reach the destination as well as
spread the demand for empty or lack of space in roads (David 62-71).

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Addressing the opposite side
Though there are various benefits, there are few risks associated with the driverless cars
too such as failure of sensor that can make the brakes of the cars fail, cyber attacks and failure or
inaccurate functioning of the software used in the vehicles. The insurances related to motor
would not be able to insure the drivers, rather could insure the risks that were related to the
driverless cars. While making the car function, it is necessary to make sure that both the car and
its driver have identical assumptions. In case the assumptions made by the car and driver differ,
the machine will not be able to function properly and this can result in accidents (James 10). A
driverless vehicle would be able to function in either manual mode, driverless mode or in
between the transition of these two. There could be breaching of duty and the driverless
capabilities could be misused as well, furthermore create chances of car malfunctioning and
reducing the ability of driverless car functioning too. There are several types of risks related to
the commercial usage of driverless cars and these have been mainly first and third party liability,
theft and fire related risks. If the sensor fails, the driverless cars cannot run smoothly and can
increase the chances of accidents (Jake 22).
Conclusion
From the arguments, it was clear that by using driverless cars, it should be easy for
reducing congestion in roads and even manage better traffic flow in the roads. It could also be
understood that advantages of the driverless vehicles had been quite attractive and it fared well
above the weaknesses of using these driverless vehicles. The future is bright and noteworthy and
with the increase in driverless cars, there will be more scopes for enhancing the effectiveness of
transportation in United States and all over the world (Robert 21).

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References
Ajora, Chopra. “What’s Taking So Long for Driverless Cars to Go Mainstream?” Fortune,
July, 2017
Arjun, Kharpal. “Driving drunk or on drugs in a driverless car should be legal, expert body
says”. A CNBC Special Report, Oct, 2017
Colias, Mike, and Mike Spector. "Trump Administration to Tread Lightly on Autonomous-
Della Cava, Marco. "Ready Or Not, States Gear Up for Self-Driving Revolution." USA
TODAY, 26 Jun, 2017, pp. B.4, SIRS Issues Researcher,
Filler, Lane. "Why are we Scared of Self-Driving Cars?" Newsday, 08 Mar, 2017, SIRS
Issues Researcher,
Freedman, David H. "Self-Driving Trucks." Technology review, 2017, pp. 62-71, SIRS Issues
Researcher
Hoffa, James P. "Drivers Wanted." Technology review, 2017, pp. 10, SIRS Issues
Researcher
Pelini, Jake. "Unsafe at any Speed." Atlantic Monthly, Mar, 2017, pp. 22, SIRS Issues
Researcher
Samuelson, Robert J. "Hackers Behind the Wheel." Washington Post, 25 Sep, 2017, pp. A.21,

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SIRS Issues Researcher
Will, Knight. “Finally, a Driverless Car with Some Common Sense”. MIT Technology
Review, Sept, 2017