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Professor name
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April 26, 2019
Argumentative essay
Thesis statement: As self-driving cars pose more challenges to the society including road safety, delayed response, joblessness, environmental and monitoring issues, switching to these automated cars is an irrational choice.
The central argument emphasizes the challenges involved in transforming to self-driving cars. Although they improve productivity but they threaten the safety of the pedestrians at roads that makes it a controversial issue. The opponents of the self-driving car exhibit their concerns about the increased probability of road accidents. Delayed or slow response of cars to unexpected situations also reflect risks for the citizens and society. automated cars are without drivers so it is difficult to blame the owners when fatal accidents occur. Implementation la regulations and laws pose another challenge for the state that makes the concept of self-driving cars less adaptable. Switching to automated cars will also layoff workers that will increase the possibilities of unemployment. Because self-driving cars threaten the traffic laws, road safety and environment it is not advisable to switch to this automated technology.
Self-driving cars are unable to make in-the-moment reactions. This is due to the fact that human-driven cars rely on the judgments and actions of drivers. While in self-driving cars there is no driver who could make the right decision at the right time. The claim supports the main argument discouraging replacement of driver cars with driverless cars. The argument claims “there are many safety and risk related unknowns associated with the autonomous vehicles, with regards to factors affecting disengagements and driver behaviour, at moments requiring manual resumption of vehicle control" (Dixit et al). The argument claims that self-driving cars are unable to maintain speed and are less likely to change lanes when required. Delay in reactions or inability of changing lanes is due to the fact that these cars are on autopilot and follow instructions that are fed inside. This undermines their capacity of responding to unexpected situations. The argument thus proves that self-driving cars are impractical for replacing traditional cars. Technology flaws are more likely to occur that again increase the risks of fatal accidents.
Self-driving cars are the cause of fatal driving accidents. Another claim that makes such cards less useful is their association with road accidents. The findings indicate that self-driving cars are more likely to cause road accidents due to delayed or slow response. This is due to the fact that there is no driver on the seat who could take control of the situation. Evidence suggests, “the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has accepted autonomous vehicles as inevitable, and is jumping in before more people get killed” CITATION Wag19 \l 1033 (Wagenseil). The NHTSA is well aware of the risks posed by self-driving cars and confirms its implications on road safety. Because these cars have no human drivers they will increase the risks of accidents and undermine the safety of pedestrians. Another issue faced by traffic officers is to identify the culprit of road accidents. This will lead to a conflicting situation because the driver will claim that he was not present on the seat when the accident occurred.
Self-driving cars present new vulnerabilities including increased accidents and traffic violations. The accuracy of driverless cars still remains one of the concerning issues as it poses greater threats in terms of road safety. Charging fines will be difficult from the owners of driverless cars when they are unidentified. Monitoring these cars also exhibits serious risks for the traffic controllers. The cars will only follow the installed instructions thus remaining unprepared for the unknown incidents. The probability of misuse is high representing another threat for the society. Self-driving cars will provide an advantage to the criminals as they can use them for committing different crimes. It also poses the risks of its misuse by terrorists and anti-state agencies for spying. The idea of introducing self-driving cars is ineffective when one considers security issues. Keeping track on the driver exerts high threats for the security agencies as they can move around with an unidentified owner. Driverless cars will increase risks for the traffic officers depicting the need for formulation of specific laws that identify the codes and standards for the drivers and the police. A hacked car is capable of carrying remotely piloted weapon thus representing serious risks. Terrorists can also manipulate the vehicle use creating more security problems.
The driverless cars are not efficient to enter the markets. The argument claims that the leading manufacturers of self-driver cars like Tesla indicated that they autonomous are not prepared yet. It reflects that “the cars need more work, he explains, and "hundreds of thousands or millions of kilometres of validation and simulations" are required before manufacturers can be sure the technology is safe" (Gale). Although many companies announced launching driverless cars they have not been able to launch any model that is free from errors. Many driverless cars used for testing exhibited the flaws in the model. This reflects that automated cars are not appropriate for replacing human-driven cars. The few models released by the leading vehicle companies depicts that they were flawed. This indicates the risks of switching to automated cars.
As automation will put many people out of jobs, the lives of people will become miserable. Another disadvantage of self-driving cars is the threat to employment, as many drivers will lose their jobs. The world is already encountering the problem of unemployment and driving provides earning the opportunity to many people. Self-driving cars will definitely take away their jobs thus creating a fuss for the society. The taxi companies if a switch to self-driving cars will cause further damages as millions of taxi drivers will face unemployment. The evidence suggests that driverless cars will "potentially discharge some workers in the driving-dominant profession" (Gale). The situation is similar to the time when the technological age eliminates manual workers from factories due to the adoption of advanced technology and machines. In the case of self-driving cars they will commit fewer or no errors compared to the drivers thus improving the service. The companies will rely more on driverless cars and neglect the repercussions. Switching to driverless cars is not a wise solution in the world where society already suffers the consequences of economic instability and unemployment. More people out of jobs will suffer the consequences and undergo depression and despair.
More dependence on self-driving cars will mean a high cost for manufacturers and consumers. The cars that are driverless involve the latest technology and automatic controls giving an indication of the high cost. The argument claims that “tariffs "could delay breakthrough technologies and threaten U.S. leadership in the next generation of automotive technology” (Lynch). Many countries like America will impose a high tariff that will discourage the manufacturing sales of such cars. Driverless cars are not feasible for the current world because only the rich will afford the cars creating a class gap between the rich and the poor. Self-driving cars will create more social problems for the people depicting that they are unfavorable. Maintenance costs of these will be high compared to the driverless cars. Social inequality will become more visible becoming a negative aspect of technology. High costs make self-driving cars unfeasible for the current world. Majority of the population will be unable to afford these cars thus motivating them to use driverless cars. People are already suffering economic issues such as increased prices, slow growth of incomes and fewer jobs, making it impossible for them to buy automated cars. The presence of self-driving and driverless cars on the roads will create more traffic problems.
People will like to take long trips because they will not get fatigued that pose significant threats to the environment. Self-driving cars when covers long trips and stays on roads for more time will contribute to a high carbon footprint. The environmentalists threaten society to minimize their vehicle use as an intervention to reduce carbon emissions. Self-driving cars are against the idea of reduced vehicle use for environmental conservation. These cars “can be bad for commuters, bad for the environment, and especially bad for those who are already economically marginalized” (jack). The automated technology influence people to enjoy long trips that would generate negative impact leaving a high carbon footprint. Use of cars for long hours also means increased consumption of fuels that will affect the overall demand worsening the problem of oil depletion. The current consumption of people due to the increased number of vehicles promoted reliance on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels threaten the natural reserves of oil and natural gas. Under such circumstances switching to self-driving cars is an impractical idea. Self-driving cars will necessarily contribute to air pollution thus increasing the risks of global warming. The concept of automated cars is also against the idea of saving energy. Increased energy consumption will influence the countries facing an energy crisis.
The counter-argument emphasize on the benefits of automated cars. Irrespective of the ubiquity the benefits of the self-driving cars remains uncertain. Self-driving cars do not eliminate the most visible problem faced by the countries including traffic jams and overcrowded streets. In reality, self-driving cars will provide more relief to the people, as they will not take the pain of driving for hours. They can relax in the back seats and enjoy their trips thus encouraging them to travel more often and go on long trips. The fact that people will spend more time in cars and take longer trips will worsen traffic situations.
The overall analysis of the argument depicts that it is irrational and impractical to switch to self-driving cars because it poses profound challenges for society. The claims support the argument that self-driving cars cause more harm than benefits to society. The assessment of the adverse effects depicts that dropping the idea of replacing automated cars with driverless cars is a better solution. Driverless cars generate more problems such as increased accidents, security problems, affordability issue and unemployment making than impractical for the current world. It is difficult to assess the accuracy of these cars because many models launched in markets such as that of Tesla proved to be flawed. Such cars also create problems for the environment because people will enjoy spending more time on cars that means more carbon footprint. Self-driving cars will layoff many workers associated with the driving industry.
Research Bibliography
Jobs Threatened by Automated Vehicles." Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Gale, 2017. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/RSIFQJ604008187/OVIC?u=cuy23890&sid=OVIC&xid=838b2670. Accessed 27 Apr. 2019.
The article provides opposing views on self-driving cars by highlights issues of increased traffic accidents and fatal injuries. It highlights the leading case of automated cars that failed on roads such as Tesla self-driving cars. It discourages the use of automated cars.
The article will be used on present research for identifying how self-driving cars create challenges for society. It will be used for providing evidentiary support to the opposing claims about the dangers of automated cars.
Lynch, David. "Trump's next tariffs could cost US in the race for self-driving cars." Washington Post, 19 July 2018. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A546990658/OVIC?u=cuy23890&sid=OVIC&xid=63b7f26a. Accessed 27 Apr. 2019.
The article uncovers the costs associated with the manufacturing of self-driving cars. It claims that it is an impractical model because the states like America will impose high tariffs. It depicts that companies will be manufacturing a few cars for the rich only. The article also criticizes that automated cars are not cost effective.
The source will be used for proving that self-driving cars involve high costs and are unaffordable for the majority. This will be used for explaining why such cars are irrational for society.
"Self-Driving Cars." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/GECXKE651250678/OVIC?u=cuy23890&sid=OVIC&xid=6a517f98. Accessed 27 Apr. 2019.
The article explains the negative impacts of automated cars on jobs. it explains that the technology will lay off many workers that will threaten the position of drivers. This reflects automated cars are linked to unemployment.
This source will be used for proving the claim that self-driving cars create joblessness.
Stilgoe, Jack. "We Need New Rules for Self-Driving Cars: Autonomous vehicles will change the world in ways both anticipated and entirely unexpected. New rules should be flexible while ensuring that self-driving cars are safe, broadly accessible, and avoid the worst unintended consequences." Issues in Science and Technology, vol. 34, no. 3, 2018, p. 52+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A535996226/OVIC?u=cuy23890&sid=OVIC&xid=fb6813fb. Accessed 27 Apr. 2019.
The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the benefits and risks associated with self-driving cars. It elaborates that deriving benefits are doubtful and depends on the ability of automation companies to make technology flawless. It also explains the negative impacts of automated cars on the environment.
This source will be used for explaining the relationship of self-driving cars with the environment. It will be incorporated for exploring the negative impacts of such cars on the environment.
Dixit, Vinayak V., et al. "Autonomous Vehicles: Disengagements, Accidents and Reaction Times." PLoS ONE, vol. 11, no. 12, 2016, p. e0168054. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A474641766/OVIC?u=cuy23890&sid=OVIC&xid=43cbc422. Accessed 27 Apr. 2019.
The article uncovers the adverse impacts of automated cars on society such as increased risks of road accidents. The central reason identified by the article is of delayed response of cars to unexpected situations. The article explains that it is difficult to validate technology used in automated cars. Even after a series of tests the company cannot claim that the designed model is free from technical faults. This indicates the possibilities of accidents.
The source will be used for supporting the claims about high risks of road accidents associated with self-driving cars. The quotes will be used from the source that will provide evidentiary support to the argument.
