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Autonomous car

By Jeff Terrill

Fort Wayne Reader

2015-04-21

Google is in the process of perfecting an autonomous car. This is a car that does not need a human driver. Google’s cars look a little funny and don’t reach high speeds… yet. Apparently, Google’s test models have driven nearly one million miles without an accident. Other automakers have joined the race with hopes that their driver-less cars find plenty of buyers in the future.

Well over a million people die in auto accidents worldwide each year. A smart car operated by sophisticated computers and cameras likely has its advantages over one driven by a person. Do you want to share the road with an autonomous car built by the smartest people on the planet or a car driven by a habitually distracted texting teen?

Some experts are predicting steering wheels, impaired driving, driver licenses and car accidents could become obsolete. Truck and bus drivers will likely need to find another line of work in the years to come. Big changes are coming.

Fast-forward 10 years and meet Lori. It’s the year 2025. She’s twenty-one years old. Lori owns a car; she’s just never had to drive it. Like most of her friends, Lori attends digital college. Instead of paying costly tuition at a physical college, she pays a fraction of what her parents paid for college to learn from some of the best professors in the world.

Last night she rode in her autonomous car to Indianapolis to meet up with some friends. She studied on the way down. After dinner, Lori and her friends went to a popular bar where they drank, ate marijuana infused chocolate candies (remember, it’s 2025 and recreational marijuana is legal for people over twenty—even in Indiana) and talked about life.

Later in the evening, Lori texted her car and waited for it to pick her up outside the bar. When it arrived, the back opened and Lori reclined in the safety belt secured seat. Lori shut her eyes and went to sleep.

Almost an hour later, Lori woke up to the sound of a siren. Her autonomous car pulled over to the side of the road. The police officer opened the back door and asked Lori if she was okay. Lori explained that she was sleeping because it was late and she had been drinking and taste-testing different edibles in Indianapolis. The officer explained that he had received several reports of human drivers in the area and wanted to make sure she was safe.

Lori provided the officer with proof that her car was current with all of its required software updates. The officer wished Lori safe travels and apologized for disrupting her sleep.

Lori got back in her car, closed her eyes and Googled it home.

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Jeff Terrill is a partner/shareholder with the law firm of Arnold Terrill Anzini, P.C. Mr. Terrill represents clients accused of crimes throughout northeast Indiana. You can contact Mr. Terrill with any questions or comments at his office at 260.420.7777 or via email at jterrill@fortwaynedefense.com. Learn more about his firm at www.fortwaynedefense.com. This article expressed opinions and observations of the author, is not intended as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader. Please consult a qualified attorney with any legal questions or issues you might have. Thank you