Debunking the 5 common myths about driverless cars

Driverless cars are expected to be a disruptive technology. It is said that autonomous vehicles were able to transform our society in various ways, similar to the other groundbreaking discoveries.

Although, leakage of some information about a few prototypes has been in the news, the real details about what these autonomous cars are capable and incapable of doing are still a mystery.

Driverless cars are expected to be a disruptive technology

With a little information about these driverless cars, it is not surprising that there are lots of misconceptions and myths that surround these cars. We at Philkotse.com will debunk these myths for you to know the truth.

Myth no.1: Autonomous cars are easy to hack

This myth started because of an experiment conducted in 2015 by a pair of a journalist from Wired. In this experiment, they use a traditional Jeep Cherokee, which is controlled by the remote hacker. The hacker was also able to control the car for a short period.

But if you are an observant reader, you will quickly notice that the experiment was done in 2015. We are already in 2019 and technologies already improved and evolved. What most people don’t know is that even the car’s earliest operating systems are already safe when it was initially launched.

The truth is, self-driving cars are more resistant to hacking compared to traditional vehicles

The truth is, self-driving cars are more prone to hacking compared to traditional vehicles. There are numerous hacking entry points in an autonomous vehicle.

However, driverless cars have complicated interconnectivity among sensors as well as communication layers. It will make a potential cyberattack a lot more complicated, most especially if the car's sensors are combined with other technologies like smart roads.

In addition, there are also lots of unique solutions that are already proposed to solve any potential vulnerability of driverless cars to hacking. One example is utilizing the software used in protecting military jet fighters.

Myth no.2: Autonomous vehicle will never be a hit because lots of drivers drive for pleasure

Many people will think that driverless cars will prevent people from driving their beloved cars across beautiful landscapes and breathtaking scenic drives. They also believe that these cars will prevent them from devouring the pleasure of pressing their foot on the pedal and their hands on the car's steering wheel. But neither of the two is correct.

Once the autonomous car becomes mainstream, it doesn’t mean that it will end your pleasure driving. No car manufacturer will confiscate the car keys or hinder the driver from driving their car on their own if they prefer to.

Once the autonomous car becomes mainstream, it doesn’t mean that it will be the total end of pleasure driving

Robotic vehicles don't have any physical robot who will use their metallic hands to control the steering wheel and will steal the driver’s seat. It’s up to you if you want to drive the car or leave all the control to the AI.

>>> Check out: 5 reasons why people should embrace self-driving cars.

Myth no.3: Self-driving cars can’t make decisions over dangerous circumstances and life and death situations

Right now, life or death situations and ethical dilemmas are not the main focus of self-driving cars. Instead, it focuses on avoiding or preventing accidents where Artificial Intelligence is required to make the decision. Contrary to what most people think, autonomous cars are much safer compared to traditional cars.

However, it's difficult to determine if robotic cars are more reliable compared to conventional vehicles when it is under human control. But if self-driving car technology will be used globally, the risk of road crash and accident will decline significantly.

Autonomous cars are much safer compared to traditional cars

When you compare humans and machines, it is self-evident that humans are more prone to making a human error than autonomous cars. In fact, all the reported 16 car crashes involving Google's autonomous vehicles are caused by humans.

>>> Have you known an Uber self-driving car kills a pedestrian in Arizona?

Myth no.4: Driverless cars will be costly so ordinary people will not be able to own them

It’s a bit true that driverless cars will be more expensive when compared to traditional cars. However, the central concept of owning a vehicle will be different from this new car technology launches.

It’s somewhat true that driverless cars will be more expensive when compared to traditional cars

Initially, the majority of autonomous cars will be used by commercial fleets, during the early phases. It only means that when it is finally available for the buying public, driverless cars’ technology will most likely be improved and perfect already. The price will more likely be lower by that time.

Another reason is the very concept of vehicle ownership will drastically change. Most car owners stuck their vehicles inside a garage or parked on the street. The majority of cars spend most of their life that way since they were not able to roam in the city without the driver. If the time comes that cars can already move freely, it will be much cheaper and more popular.

>>> Also check: Components of self-driving cars that allow self-navigation.

Myth no.5: Driverless vehicles will be similar to the traditional car, the only difference is, it doesn’t have a driver

This is completely untrue. Self-driving cars are totally different because conventional vehicles are created around the driver. Since autonomous cars won’t need a driver, the car's shape will be different.  The designs of the cabin will focus on the comfort of the passengers.

Self-driving cars are totally different because conventional vehicles are created around the driver

Space will be maximized by removing any unnecessary things in the interior such as steering wheels, transmission controls, pedals, and other retractable things. The exterior will also be modified as well. The need to face a certain direction will be removed, and the car may become more box-shaped and rounder. The seats will face all directions.

“The vehicles will be self-driving. So you have your own personal space where you can sit back and relax.”

This is what the CEO of WAYMO, John Krafcik, explained. Not all driverless cars will have a similar look like that of a futuristic flying egg because many people will still want to operate and control their car every once in a while.

>>> FYI: Self-driving car: 9 advantages for Filipino drivers.

Self-driving cars are totally different because conventional vehicles are built around the driver

With lots of vehicles available, autonomous cars will simply become an option, even if their design will still be a bit unique to accommodate the new environmental technologies such as smart roads.

Knowing the truths behind these misconceptions is important. It will give you the right information and will save you from believing something that is not real.