Introduction
Just over 130 years ago, the car was invented. We have come far since the first days of the steam-powered car too. We are now working on the technology of self-driving cars. Brad Roemer Real Estate is trying to come up with benefits for why we should have them. So far, he has only come up with a few. This is not to say that we don’t need them, simply that he is trying to figure out if investing in the technology is worth it for the evolution of man.
Benefits
It is said that for something to be worth the time you invest in making it, there needs to be a market for your new product. Are we really sure that we are ready to trust computers to drive cars at high speeds? We have heard many accidents reported from the technology and are still on the fence. Here are some of the reasons we can see a benefit for self-driving cars.
- Fewer Accidents – While self-driving cars have had their share of accidents, there has been enough data collected to indicate that they are much safer to “drive” than your typical car. Computers can react faster and assess more things at once than the human mind can. It is for reasons like this that we are not allowed to talk on the phone while driving, or text while driving. We simply have a limited number of things we can do at once.
- Traffic – In almost every study done about self-driving cars, it has shown that they have decreased, and even eliminated in some cases, traffic. Who wouldn’t want to be home in half the time due to fewer accidents?
- Fuel Consumption – Due to the less time on the road (as seen above) studies have shown that when self-driving cars take control, we use less fuel. Part of the reason is there are far fewer accidents, so you don’t have people sitting on the highway for hours on end. Second, they will always accelerate at the same speed no matter how they are feeling. Be honest, when you are in a bad mood because a driver cut you off, don’t you drive a little more heavy-footed?
- Productivity – In much the same way you can get work done on a bus or train, you can get stuff done while your car takes you to work. This means that you can talk on the phone, answer e-mails, text message your friend, etc.
- Parking – How many hours, especially this time of year, do you find yourself looking for a parking spot? Probably enough to have an entire day added to your week. Well, with self-driving cars, you simply have the car drop you off at the front of the building and then go park itself. When you are ready, you call the car to pick you up.
Conclusion
We think that these benefits were enough to sway Brad Roemer to the side of self-driving cars. How about you? Are you convinced that this is a technology we need?
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