Test 1

Name……………………………………………… Faculty…....... №…………………………

I. Read the text and put the subheadings in the correct gaps

A Giving Control to the Driver

B The Hacking Dilemma
C Program the Car to Make an Impartial Decision
D Rightful Deciders of the Ethics of Self-Driving Cars
E Predetermined Decisions Over Random Decisions in All Cases

Five Moral Dilemmas That Self-Driving Cars Face Today

Suppose you are driving within the speed limits on the road. Out of nowhere, you see a
child running across the road. You make the calculations and figure out that even if you
applied the brakes real hard, you’d still hit the child. The only way to save him is to steer
your vehicle either left or right. However, there are a dozen bystanders on either side of
the road. You’ll definitely end up ramming into them.

So, what would you do in such a situation? Would you hit the child or the dozen
bystanders? Or, if possible, disregard your own safety to prevent causing harm to either
the child or the innocent people by the side of the road?

This dilemma is already difficult for humans to answer in a morally-correct manner. But
what if autonomous or self-driving cars face such a moral dilemma? You have got to
wonder, “What are the ethics of self-driving cars in such cases?” What will they do? Will
they spare the child, the bystanders, and risk the driver’s life?

Putting the Ethics of Self-Driving Cars to the Test

In 2020, there were 35,766 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States. This led to
the death of 38,824 people. Human error is cited as the leading cause of motor vehicle
accidents. Using autonomous vehicles can help prevent many of these accidents.

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However, one might argue that studies have shown that even with autonomous vehicles,
accidents do happen. And as per a study, 99% of autonomous vehicle accidents are
caused by human error. But, if you look at the report in-depth, you’ll find out that the
accident was caused by a human in another vehicle or a pedestrian. There have been two
cases where the self-driving car’s system was at fault for the accident.

So, it can be concluded that self-driving cars are more reliable than their manual
counterparts. That being said, there are still certain dilemmas that self-driving cars face
today, which raises a question about the ethics of self-driving cars and makes us wonder
if we really are ready for a driverless future. Let’s take a look.

Five Moral Dilemmas Self-Driving Cars Face Today

The moral dilemmas of self-driving cars are not new. Since their inception, the ethics of
self-driving cars have been a hot topic of debate. Here is a look at five moral dilemmas
self-driving cars still face today.

1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Self-driving cars are basically robots that have been programmed using algorithms. So,
they are most likely to follow set rules or patterns in all cases. However, that may not be
the best course of action in all situations. Some people may argue, and right to some
degree, that random accidents caused by humans are more justified than the
predetermined death of a human or animal, in the case of an autonomous car. So, in
such cases, who is responsible for the death(s) caused? Is it the self-driving car
manufacturer? Is it the software programmer? Or is it the car itself?

There is no clear and right answer to this question. Thus, most people feel that accidents
should happen naturally rather than letting a robot or software decide who’ll live and
die.

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2…………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Tesla requires the driver to keep their hands on the steering and be attentive, even when
the vehicle is running in fully autonomous mode. The driver needs to be prepared to
take over at any moment.

But, even in such cases, if an accident does happen, who is responsible for the loss of life
and property? Is it the autonomous car that led to the accident? Or is it the driver who
couldn’t take the appropriate decision in the nick of time? Or is it the reckless pedestrian
or driver in another car?

Thus, one of the biggest dilemmas of self-driving cars is whether it would be right to
hand over the control to the driver at the last instant. This will not only raise a question
about the ethics of self-driving cars but also about the ethics of the driver.

3………………………………………………………………………………………………

Generally, the ethics of self-driving cars are determined by the engineers who work on
the car’s technology. What they deem right or wrong determines how the car will act in
certain situations like accidents.

But, people argue about who is the right person or organization to decide the ethics of
self-driving cars. Is it the engineers who worked on the car technology? Is it the
government of the country where the vehicle will be driven?

It can be argued that no one is the right owner to decide the ethics of self-driving cases.
The decision must lie in the hands of the driver of the car.

4……………………………………………………………………………………………….

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Some also argue that the best way for a self-driving car is to make an impartial decision
in case of accidents. They must not discriminate between humans based on age, gender,
or other parameters. They should always make a decision that causes the least impact.

For example, if the car has to decide between saving a child or a group of sexagenarians,
it should choose the sexagenarians as it will help save more lives. Moreover, human lives
should be given priority over animal lives. Germany has become the first country to
adopt such rules regarding self-driving cars. It has prioritized human lives above all
other factors.

5…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

There is always a risk of a cyber criminal hacking into the car’s system to gain access to
sensitive data or to carry out a misdeed. For example, what if the autonomous car is
hacked by a cybercriminal and commanded to carry out an accident to implicate the
driver? In such cases, who is responsible for the accident and loss of lives?

Is it the cybercriminal? Is it the driver? Is it the car manufacturer who couldn’t secure
the car against such attacks? Due to such increased risks and unclear answers, self-
driving cars, as a whole, may seem unethical to society.

Conclusion

The ethics of self-driving cars has been constantly under debate. The ethics have been
defended and attacked to the extreme by supporters at each end of the spectrum. There
is still no clear answer yet on how to solve the moral dilemmas self-driving cars face.

As the debate around the topic intensifies due to the increasing adoption of self-driving
cars, we hope that strict laws and regulations will be developed that can finally answer
the questions in a correct, justifiable manner.

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II. Rewrite the sentences to make them passive.
1. We need to consider other sources of pollution in the manufacturing process of
the electric car and its battery.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. This pollution may not involve just carbon emissions.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. The battery manufacture posed issues of worker exposure to metals.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4. People have noticed a huge interest in electric cars in the past few years.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5. Bill is unable to join the meeting as he is recharging the battery of the company
car.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

III. Use the word in capitals to form a new word which fits
into each blank.

ElectroCar – Which battery?

It is clear that lead-acid batteries, with their short …1… LIFE

were completely …2… for electric cars. Nickel-cadmium SUIT
batteries were a huge …3… when they appeared in 1990s PROVE
but their drop in voltage was a serious …4… . ADVANCE
It was …5… that this type of battery could ever work in a LIKE
car. After some research, we have …6… found a good DOUBT
…7… : lithium batteries. With their charge capacity, you SOLVE

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can be …8… there will be no decrease in power. This could CONFIDE
be the solution to the ….9-car battery problem. It will ELECTRON
….10…. have a positive effect on the environment. SURE