The most recent talk in the car world is that by the year 2020, driverless cars will be the new norm, much like hybrids and electric cars. But like hybrids and electric cars, there are some things that have to be considered. With electric cars, there's the possibility of the batteries exploding. With hybrids, it's the embarrassment of being seen in one. But what about self driving cars?
Google's self driving car can take people to wherever they want to go without any help or driver assistance. It doesn't even have a steering wheel or foot pedals. But like all technologies, it can be hacked into. Since hackers are getting much smarter as the technology gets better, it wouldn't stop someone from hacking into your car and causing the GPS to send you somewhere you don't want to go. They could also completely take control of your car and steer you into a tree or over a bridge. Plus, with no steering wheel or brake pedals, there's nothing much you can do.
Companies favoring driverless cars have yet to come up with a system that will prevent hacking, but since self driving cars probably won't be around for another 10 years or so, they do have some time to improve the technology. Of course, for people who actually like driving their cars, this is a big problem. But if all the highways are clogged with self driving cars, this leaves all the fun backroads for people who actually enjoy driving. Seems like self driving cars may be better off for people who don't like driving.
