The AI Motoring Revolution: Benefits Of Autonomous Vehicles
Posted by admin at 11 February 2018, at 22 : 32 PM
Driverless cars and connected autonomous vehicles can already be seen on the roads in some major cities like Paris, Las Vegas, Boston, Chandler, Phoenix and San Francisco. As a result, governments and businesses around the world are starting to focus on the potential advantages and upcoming challenges this AI motoring revolution will bring.
Ohio University recently conducted some research into the potential benefits driverless cars could have on everyday life. Here is a small selection of some of the key expected benefits:
More Environmentally Friendly
Autonomous vehicles could become known as green machines. After all, the technology behind driverless cars can be programmed to optimize fuel consumption and energy efficiency. It is thought that AI controlled vehicles could result in a 60% reduction in carbon emissions.
Safer Roads
Self-driving cars are set to dramatically reduce the number of road traffic accidents each year. This is because many accidents are caused by driver negligence, such as drunk driving and driving while distracted. Autonomous vehicles remove the potential for human error and once they become commonplace on roads around the country, the accident rate is set to fall by 90%. The streets will also become safer for pedestrians, as onboard control modules in driverless cars can make exceeding the speed limit impossible.
Time Savings
A typically commuter from a metropolitan district spends nearly an hour each day behind the wheel. When driverless cars become available to the mainstream, commuters will have more free time on their hands. Time is money, so it is predicted that the economy will also see a boost from new AI-controlled vehicles.
Optimized Road Traffic
Traffic congestion in American urban areas is said to cost the country approximately $160 billion a year in lost time and wasted fuel. Autonomous vehicles with onboard digital maps will be able to access data from live central traffic monitoring systems and adjust their routes accordingly to optimize for fuel and time efficiency. Consequently, there should be a lot less traffic congestion around the country.
Revolutionized Parking Lots And Smart Cities
Parking spaces today require a lot of wasted land between cars to allow for human drivers to maneuver into the spaces safely. Driverless cars could revolutionize the way city infrastructure is built, as self-parking driverless cars will be able to maneuver into more tightly packed spaces with ease. It is predicted that driverless cars will require 15% less space for parking, which will be a great space-saving tool for urban areas around the world. Urban planners are bound to be excited about the upcoming automobile revolution.