Imagine it’s 2015 and Google has just announced a partnership with a prominent car manufacturer to provide the first publicly available self-driving cars. Instead of you having your hands on the wheel, Google’s technology would drive the car for you.
Would you buy such a car? Would you install Google self-driving car technology into your own vehicle if you had the option?
These are questions we’ve been asking here at Mashable after hearing about one of Google’s self-driving cars getting into an accident. It turns out that the accident occurred while in manual mode (a person was driving), it still brings up important questions about the future of the automobile.
You could argue that self-driving cars simply can’t make the life-and-death decisions that humans need to make while behind the wheel. A glitch or malfunction in the hardware or software could potentially cause a self-driving car to go off the road or worse. Should we trust software with our lives and the lives of our families?
SEE ALSO: Riding in the Google Car That Drives Itself [VIDEO]
On the other hand, the self-driving car may very well turn out to be a better driver than people, who are affected by emotions, hunger, distractions and sleep deprivation. There were 10.2 million traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2008; could self-driving cars lower that number? You could also argue that society would be improved by people spending time on productive tasks while in the car. You could be writing novels or playing with your kids during the time you spend stuck in traffic.
Would you use a Google self-driving car? Vote in our poll below and let us know why you voted the way you did in the comments below.
Would You Buy a Google Self-Driving Car?
More About: automobile, cars, Google, Google Self-driving Car, self-driving car, technologyFor more Tech & Gadgets coverage:Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:57:38 +0000 at http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/Tm7oOEiUwF4/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/05/google-self-driving-car-poll/#comments
Would you buy such a car? Would you install Google self-driving car technology into your own vehicle if you had the option?
These are questions we’ve been asking here at Mashable after hearing about one of Google’s self-driving cars getting into an accident. It turns out that the accident occurred while in manual mode (a person was driving), it still brings up important questions about the future of the automobile.
You could argue that self-driving cars simply can’t make the life-and-death decisions that humans need to make while behind the wheel. A glitch or malfunction in the hardware or software could potentially cause a self-driving car to go off the road or worse. Should we trust software with our lives and the lives of our families?
SEE ALSO: Riding in the Google Car That Drives Itself [VIDEO]
On the other hand, the self-driving car may very well turn out to be a better driver than people, who are affected by emotions, hunger, distractions and sleep deprivation. There were 10.2 million traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2008; could self-driving cars lower that number? You could also argue that society would be improved by people spending time on productive tasks while in the car. You could be writing novels or playing with your kids during the time you spend stuck in traffic.
Would you use a Google self-driving car? Vote in our poll below and let us know why you voted the way you did in the comments below.
Would You Buy a Google Self-Driving Car?
More About: automobile, cars, Google, Google Self-driving Car, self-driving car, technologyFor more Tech & Gadgets coverage:Follow Mashable Tech & Gadgets on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Tech & Gadgets channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad
Posted on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:57:38 +0000 at http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/Mashable/~3/Tm7oOEiUwF4/
Comments: http://mashable.com/2011/08/05/google-self-driving-car-poll/#comments