Driverless Cars

It's the trend of the future.

It can talk, see, drive and no longer needs a

human being to control it by remote. The
car of the future - completely computer-
controlled - is on the streets of Berlin.

Sep 22, 2011, 12.00AM IST (TOI)

Since the industrial revolution, tedious human chores have steadily been handed over to machines. Going by this
trend, the advent of fully computerised cars that drive themselves should only be a matter of time. A prototype
has already been tested by researchers on Berlin's streets. It's the trend of the future with a range of built-in
technology which allows it to see and maneuver through traffic on its own. Technophobes may shudder at the
vision of speeding driverless cars, navigating through heavy traffic. But how can they forget that in the end, it’s
driver error that causes most accidents?

Accidents can potentially be eliminated if a machine's in charge. Their recognition of and reaction to the
environment can be much faster and more accurate than a human being's. Few would dispute that concentrating
on the road is an ordeal with all-round traffic mayhem, speeding cars, and frequently ringing mobile phones.
Surely nothing could be better than allowing well-tested technological devices to take care of road anxieties.
Besides avoiding other tetchy drivers and road rage, we will have more productive time and leisure. If
automated cars that drove themselves became the norm, we would no longer have that drunk driver to worry
about. For those who worry about machine malfunction, cars could be designed to stop themselves at the first
sign of suspected error. They could also come equipped with an override function, which would allow human
beings to take over if the need arose.

Technology skeptics shouldn't forget that at present aircraft comes equipped with an autopilot function, which in
effect allows them to fly themselves. This hasn't made air travel any more unsafe than before - if anything, it's
the contrary. It is high time that we rid ourselves of our fear of radical technological innovations.

TIMES VIEW

Tedious chores are being done by machines since the last five years. T/F

Technophobes are people who love technology. T/F

Answering mobile phones while driving can cause accidents. T/F

Driverless cars only exist in science fiction. T/F

Commercial aircraft is equipped with an autopilot function. T/F

Drunk drivers cause no harm on the road. T/F

1
Match the sentences.

1. The advent of fully computerized cars that - we could have more productive time and leisure.

2. Accidents can potentially be eliminated - drive themselves could only be a matter of time.

3. Technophobes may shudder at the vision of - an override function.

4. Besides avoiding other tetchy drivers and road rage - speeding driverless cars.

5. They could also come equipped with - if a machine’s in charge.

1. What came to your mind when you saw the title?

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2. Could you think of other titles for this article?
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3. Would you feel safe in such a car or would a drunk driver be a better choice?
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4. Could you think of what would happen if the car suddenly stopped on a highway
where the traffic is too fast? Would an override function be of use in such a situation?

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4. Would people still like to own present time cars so that they could drive for pleasure?
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