Are Driverless Cars a Good Idea?

• Author: Bin-Nun, Amitai

Are we on the cusp of the era of the driverless car? Many companies seem to think so. All new Teslas come with autopilot features that can be upgraded in the future into driverless technology. General Motors has unveiled plans for a six-passenger driverless car. In collaboration with a Chinese startup company, U.S. automaker Fiat Chrysler plans to put robot-taxis on roads in China later this year. Ford and Volkswagen have joined forces to work on driverless car technology. And two years after an Uber driverless car struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, the ride-sharing company has received a permit to resume testing in California. An advocate for using autonomous vehicles to reduce emissions and a transportation safety expert square off about the future of driverless cars.

YES Americans love their cars. The typical household owns at least two and spends more on vehicles than on any other expense besides housing. Except for in a few densely populated cities, Americans must drive if they want to get to work or school, go shopping, or see friends.

But dependence on driving has a number of negative consequences. Transportation now contributes more to climate change than any other part of the U.S. economy. By reducing road congestion and driving more efficiently, driverless cars will reduce emissions. Most communities are built around driving, which makes it harder for individuals with disabilities, older Americans who can no longer drive safely, and those who can't afford cars to get to where they want to go. Self-driving cars will improve mobility for those who can't drive themselves.

Most important, driving on our roads today needs to be much safer. In 2018, more than 36,500 people died in crashes in the U.S., according to federal data. That's more than 100 per day; the status quo is unacceptable.

About half of crashes happen because of drunk driving, distracted driving, and speeding. Self-driving cars, which use sensors that see all around and don't get distracted, eliminate all three of these risk factors. Even better, most self-driving cars are electric, so they don't generate emissions that are harmful to the climate. And driverless cars will likely be used in services where people can share rides, further contributing to our ability to use less oil and to lower carbon emissions.

Self-driving cars offer the promise of a safer, more efficient, and more accessible transportation system. Over the past decade, companies like Google and...