St. Petersburg Self-Driving Cars
A proposal by the Obama administration opens up the possibility of government funding into research that will eventually lead to the development of a self-driving vehicle[1]. If the administration has its way, $4 billion in funding[2] will be committed over a ten year period in the hopes that an autonomous vehicle will greatly reduce the number of fatal accidents experienced each year. In recent history, technology has become a source of distraction and led to an increase in auto related fatalities despite more advanced safety technologies. Self-driving vehicles could be the solution to this dilemma as they would allow drivers to multitask without placing themselves and others at risk.
Necessary Updates to Florida Infrastructure
Investing in our nation's roads is critical to the invention of an autonomous vehicle[3] and President Obama has addressed this need in his 2017 budget proposal, which will commit funds to the development of vehicle technology as well as roadways that are compatible with the new vehicles. Automakers are already in a race to develop the first self-driving vehicle, but this proposal will clear financial obstacles standing in their way by allotting exemptions for up to 2,500 test vehicles to be used in real on-road tests.
St. Petersburg Driver Error and Distraction
Nearly 80% of auto accidents on the roads today are the result of human error or distraction.
According to distraction.gov, 3,179 people were killed[4], and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2014. At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010 and contributes to a large number of distracted driver collisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides that ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted at the time of the crashes.
Self-driving vehicles could drastically lower auto accident fatality rates and provide the potential for an accident-free world if the proper infrastructure and technologies are put into place. The technology needed for partially autonomous vehicles[5] will be emerging in the coming years, while completely autonomous vehicles could take decades to produce. It is the hope of the Obama administration that $4 billion in government funding over the next ten years could expedite the process and bring the dream of hazard-free driving to reality.
Reducing Florida Accidents by 90%
The Atlantic reports that if driverless cars deliver on their promise to eliminate the vast majority of fatal traffic accidents, the technology will rank among the most transformative public-health initiatives[6] in human history, saving up to 300,000 lives per decade in the United States. The consulting firm McKinsey & Co. provides:
“By midcentury, the penetration of AVs (Autonomous Vehicles) and other ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) could ultimately cause vehicle crashes in the United States to fall from second to ninth place in terms of their lethality ranking among accident types. Today, car crashes have an enormous impact on the US economy. For every person killed in a motor-vehicle accident, 8 are hospitalized, and 100 are treated and released from emergency rooms.”
“The overall annual cost of roadway crashes to the US economy was $212 billion in 2012. Taking that year as an example, advanced Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Autonomous Vehicles reducing accidents by up to 90 percent would have potentially saved about $190 billion.”
Call a St. Petersburg Auto Wreck Injury Attorney
Until Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Autonomous Vehicles become a way of life in Clearwater, it is likely that you or someone you know will be involved in an automobile collision. When that happens, it is important to speak to the experienced injury lawyer at the Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA to determine what, if any, third party may be responsible for your damages and injuries. Please call our office at (727) 472-3909.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA
1663 1st Ave S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33712
(727) 472-3909
References:
[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/report-10-million-self-driving-cars-will-be-on-the-road-by-2020-2015-5-6
[2] https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-01-14/obama-to-propose-4-billion-for-self-driving-cars
[3] https://www.wired.com/tag/autonomous-vehicles/
[4] Distracted Driving
[5] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-autos-selfdriving-exclusive-idUSKCN0VJ00H
[6] https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/09/self-driving-cars-could-save-300000-lives-per-decade-in-america/407956/?utm_source=SFTwitter