(Image source from: Is Google's driverless car the next thing to watch out for?)
Fancy riding a car that has no gas pedal, no break or steering wheel and drives itself? Well, then Google's new car could be just the thing for you.
Google revealed the latest-version of its self-driving car that can drive on on sensors and software. Yes, you heard that right. The uber-modern car comes without a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal, operates with a single push button and resembles our Tata Nano in looks.
But before you start fantasizing about getting behind the push button of this car, stop to consider that do we really need a self-driving car? Is the car safe? How will it impact the next generation of cars? We explore.
Why do we need a self-driving car?
Technology is fine, but the question is do we really need a self-driving car and how safe is it?
Before you start pondering over these questions, know that Google’s prime reason to build a driverless car was safety. Yes, that's right!
The search giant says that nearly that 1.2 million people lose their lives due to traffic-related incidents, and 90 percent of those accidents happen due to human error. Self-driving cars will help to ‘step up road safety and transform mobility for millions of people’. It is engineered to never get distracted and navigate naturally. With the new driverless car, drunk and distracted driving will be history.
What's it like to be in a driverless car?
The self-driving car functional prototype is smart enough to know when to stop and knows when to go.
The two-seater car accommodates two adults and theirbelongings. It's light on creature comforts, so don't expect any luxury. It has a screen that shows the route—and that’s about it.
Google will launch a hundred prototypes of the vehicle that will be test driven by the company’s safety drivers. All these cars will have manual controls. The product is still at a nascent stage, but is likely to take the conventional market by a storm if the technology develops.
AW: Suchorita Choudhury
