Google Driver-less Car Technology

Imagine driving along the road on a cloudless clear evening. You are alone in the car and blasting out of your car audio player is your favourite music. Feeling excited by the lyrics and melody of the song, you begin to shake your head in rhythm with the melodious beat. Then you hear a strange but familiar sound. Instinctively, you let out a frustrating hiss and hit the dashboard with your fist. You have just had a flat tyre!
Then suddenly you notice a car approaching you. "Thank God", you said to yourself. You wave the "driver" down. The car gradually come to a stop. You move towards the car to ask for assistance, but there is no driver in the car. What a joke!
This scenario may play itself out in the coming years if Google is able to fully realize its dream of introducing driver-less or autonomous cars into the world. People at Google are trying to build cars that will take you to wherever you want without any driver, just at the push of a button.
"How can a car drive itself?", you may ask

The principle behind it

In the past, a driver-less car technology was seen as an illusion, just as flying an airplane was seen then as an impossibility. But today, it is becoming more of a reality than just a passing illusion. They are built with sensors that can detect far objects as far as 300 feet away in all directions. Any object, including cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles can be detected. The sensors are so sensitive that they can equally detect plastic (nylon) bags that are carried here and there by the wind! The software is designed to process all the information needed to assist the car in navigating its ways around the city.

Advantages of self-driving cars  

1.It makes driving easy for the elderly and the vision-impaired: How many times have people been told to go and get a driver because of the way they drive, maybe due to old age or other driving inefficiencies? This situation will be perfectly handled by the sensors. Shouts borne out of frustration in traffic congestion will be gone. 

2. The time spent by self-driving business men and people with white-collar job can be better spent handling some of their works. Imagine somebody in Lagos who spends 5 hours commuting to and fro work everyday. Such time can be used doing other meaningful tasks.

3. Reduced accident rate: Since most accidents are caused by human errors in terms of careless driving, careless overtaking, overspeeding etc, such preventable accidents will be avoided.

Disadvantages of autonomous cars

1. Helpless drivers: If the scenario at the beginning of this post becomes a reality, what will be the fate of the driver? Helpless at the best. This is dangerous considering the rate at which stranded drivers are attacked by armed robbers and other criminals.

2. Increased joblessness: Imagine the number of people that will be sacked. In this country, thousands of people make a living out of driving. If these people are sacked, the already over saturated labour market will be the one to bear the brunt. 

3. Increased crime rate: Some people who have been driving for a long time may find it difficult to get a replacement job. With the desire to take care of their financial responsibilities at home and elsewhere, they may take to crime.

So, if you are driving for a living or you have a relative who drives for a living, be prepared to learn a trade. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?