100 UniT 07 | Bigger, better, faster, stronger You’ve seen an example of a self-driving car in traffic. What could be the challenges and possible benefits if they become more common? Make a list, then collect your ideas in class. You are going to read four opinions on self-driving cars. Match texts A, B, C and D to the sentences on the next page. READING 17 a b The advantages of self-driving cars? Top of the list must be an increase in road safety. Worldwide, 1.3 million people are killed each year in traffic accidents. Studies have shown that even partial automation of driving could significantly reduce deaths, making the roads safer for everyone. Cars with forward collision warning systems that alert the driver or brake automatically are already involved in far fewer accidents. Automated driving would also bring with it the benefit of decreased traffic. Connected and driverless vehicles can communicate with each other and their surroundings to find the best routes. This helps distribute traffic more evenly across limited road space. By moving as coordinated units, vehicles can reduce unnecessary acceleration and braking, which often lead to traffic congestion. And as automated vehicles decrease the number of accidents, traffic will be increasingly lighter since accidents are one of the biggest causes of traffic jams. A Self-driving cars don’t drink and drive, fall asleep at the wheel, text or talk on the phone while driving. Equipped with sensors and processors, they navigate the roads without any of these human failings that can result in accidents. But there is something self-driving cars do not yet deal with very well – the unexpected. The human brain is still better than any computer at making decisions in the face of sudden, unforeseen events on the road, such as a child running into the street, a swerving cyclist or a fallen tree branch. Computers can ensure that self-driving cars obey the rules of the road – making them turn, stop and slow down, but this technology can’t control the behaviour of other drivers. Added to this, snow, rain, fog and other types of weather make driving difficult for humans, and it’s no different for driverless cars. They stay in their lanes by using sensors and cameras to follow the lines on the pavement, which is impossible when the ground is covered in snow. B One of the biggest advantages of self-driving cars has to be decreased traffic congestion. Let’s face it, one of the leading causes of traffic jams is selfish behaviour among drivers. It has been shown when drivers space out and allow each other to move freely between lanes on the motorway, traffic continues to flow smoothly, regardless of the number of cars on the road. In fact, we have the ability to pretty much eliminate traffic jams right now. All we’d have to do is leave three to four car lengths between our car and the car in front of us, even in slow-moving traffic. The way we drive now, particularly in heavy traffic, if someone needs to change lanes to get off the motorway, or if someone needs to get on the motorway, everybody has to stop to let them because we drive so close together. And, there’s no other way to put it, we do this out of selfishness. Self-driving cars, on the other hand, can be programmed to space out automatically, thereby eliminating the problem. C Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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