Tech experts say the future of transportation includes self-driving cars. To date, there are more than 200 tech companies and start-ups who are looking to take part in the automotive revolution.
The premise of the self-driving car is that manual navigation by humans will no longer be needed, as everything will be fully autonomous and can controlled remotely. But, with all things new and revolutionary, there are certain dangers that people should anticipate with the onslaught of self-driving cars.
For one, the self-driving car industry in unregulated, and as such, will have to adjust to a regulated automobile environment. No matter how ground-breaking they are, self-driving cars must not compromise safety, and must be fully tested as well as approved by regulators before they can be sold.
Here are 3 dangers we should anticipate from the rise of self-driving cars:
1. Road Accidents
Self-driving cars will have to operate on existing highways, roadways and city streets. Our current infrastructure has not been optimized for the use of autonomous vehicles and may, therefore, cause accidents.
In fact, the self-driving car’s every capability has to be programmed in a software. This means no buried wires, no “smart” speed limit or turn lanes signs, or special paint would assist the vehicle in finding its way around. This can pose trouble because the roads are rarely predictable and something can happen at any time, and the driver-less car might not be able to cope to these sudden changes.
Self-driving cars may not be able to navigate through heavy rain or snowstorm that could hide or distort the painted lines on roads and highways. This can make autonomous navigation systems, if not useless, at least, erratic.
Additionally, self-driving cars may give drivers a false sense of security. Drivers tend to become complacent with the technology that there is an increased reaction time of up to 17 seconds to a changed driving situation. On a regular car, it takes drivers less than a second to react to an unexpected event.
2. Vehicle Hacking and Malfunctions
Self-driving cars can be hacked just as any other computing device. Any skilled hacker could soon figure out a way to take control of a vehicle’s steering or acceleration. This can compromise the safety of the riders in a variety of ways.
For example, hackers can take control of an autonomous vehicle, and gain access to the car owner’s personal information, that could be sold or, more likely, held for ransom by the attacker.
There is also a possibility of terror attacks where the terrorist could gain control of an autonomous vehicle and use it as a weapon.
Also, there is a chance that the system can malfunction or experience some unexpected glitch that causes the machine to act unpredictably or stop altogether. It can be dangerous when a self-driving car malfunction while traveling at high speed on a road.
3. Increased Exposure To Radiation
Self-driving cars can increase your exposure to electromagnetic field radiation. You can get exposed from the GPS guidance, GPS tracking tools, remote controls, powered accessories, radio and music systems, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity, etc. that are inherently present in an autonomous vehicle.
Constant exposure to EMF can play a part in health conditions including headaches, migraines, inner agitation, chronic exhaustion, sleeplessness, and susceptibility to infection.
Some people develop electromagnetic hypersensitivity where they experience sudden shortness of breath and fluctuating blood pressure. Other people reportedly developed eye problems from constant electromagnetic exposure.
Autonomous cars are high-tech vehicles, which means it was designed to function through the use of different electronic devices – all emitting EMF radiation.
You can use protective bands or blankets to lessen your exposure to radiation when inside a self-driving car.
Technological advancements such as the self-driving car can offer people a lot of conveniences with their daily life. This up-and-coming tech revolution has a lot of promise, but it also comes with a lot of possible health risks for people, too.
