For generations, the automobile industry has been a source of innovation and economic growth. The ability to drive is a symbol of mobility and independence that spans generations. Clearly, automobiles play a significant role in our lives and afford many benefits to society.
Yet for all benefits conferred on society, no other invention in the history of civilian technology has caused as much harm as the automobile. Every 30 seconds. someone dies in a traffic accident, adding up to well over 1 million deaths each year. In the US automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the age of 3 and 34. Moreover,human error is the cause of over 90% of automobile accidents.
In addition the inefficiencies related with the automobile usage is staggering. Most automobiles sit unused more than 95% of their life span, and a freeway operating at maximum efficiency has automobiles on only 5% of its surface. In congested urban areas, 40% of all gasoline used is spent when car looks for parking spaces. Furthermore, in some US cities, parking lots comprise more than third of the land, becoming the single salient landscape feature of our built environment.
Since its inception of the commercial auto industry in the late 1890s, cars have become increasingly safe and convenient. Recently, car makers have begun to introduce advanced driver-assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control (which automates accelerating and braking) and active lane assist (which automates steering). These systems have become capable enough that new luxury vehicles can drive themselves in slow moving highway traffics. Research into autonomous cars has progressed remarkably since the first demonstrations in the 1980s. In 2010, four driver less vans traveled from Italy to China. In august of 2012, google announced that its self-driving cars had completed over 300,000 miles of accident free autonomous driving. Although self-driving cars may still seems like science friction, Google, many industry analysts, auto suppliers, and car makers project that such cars will be available before 2020.
Yet for all benefits conferred on society, no other invention in the history of civilian technology has caused as much harm as the automobile. Every 30 seconds. someone dies in a traffic accident, adding up to well over 1 million deaths each year. In the US automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the age of 3 and 34. Moreover,human error is the cause of over 90% of automobile accidents.
In addition the inefficiencies related with the automobile usage is staggering. Most automobiles sit unused more than 95% of their life span, and a freeway operating at maximum efficiency has automobiles on only 5% of its surface. In congested urban areas, 40% of all gasoline used is spent when car looks for parking spaces. Furthermore, in some US cities, parking lots comprise more than third of the land, becoming the single salient landscape feature of our built environment.
Since its inception of the commercial auto industry in the late 1890s, cars have become increasingly safe and convenient. Recently, car makers have begun to introduce advanced driver-assistance systems such as adaptive cruise control (which automates accelerating and braking) and active lane assist (which automates steering). These systems have become capable enough that new luxury vehicles can drive themselves in slow moving highway traffics. Research into autonomous cars has progressed remarkably since the first demonstrations in the 1980s. In 2010, four driver less vans traveled from Italy to China. In august of 2012, google announced that its self-driving cars had completed over 300,000 miles of accident free autonomous driving. Although self-driving cars may still seems like science friction, Google, many industry analysts, auto suppliers, and car makers project that such cars will be available before 2020.
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