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The general consensus among experts is we\u2019re headed toward a future in which humans driving cars will seem downright archaic<\/a>.<\/p>\n In a new\u00a0Vox<\/em> essay<\/a>,\u00a0New York University data journalism professor\u00a0Meredith Broussard disagrees.<\/p>\n She thinks the era of the autonomous car is far from inevitable, and not because researchers won\u2019t be able to perfect the tech\u00a0\u2014 she argues that it\u2019s the role drivers currently play in society that we won\u2019t be able to live without.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Vox<\/em> published Hindsight 2070<\/a>, a series of 15 articles penned by experts in various fields, each answering the same question: \u201cWhat do we do now that will be considered unthinkable in 50 years?\u201d<\/p>\n Broussard was one of those experts, and she believes the existence of \u201cunspoken social contracts\u201d between riders and drivers will make driverless cars seem \u201cunthinkable\u201d to future generations.<\/p>\n In Vox<\/em>, she describes an incident in which she witnessed a Manhattan bus driver calm an agitated passenger.<\/p>\n \u201cThe simple explanation for why this situation didn\u2019t escalate: the unspoken social contract of the bus driver\u2019s authority in this space,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n Essentially, she argues that having someone \u201cin charge\u201d makes public transportation feel safer, especially for\u00a0marginalized groups.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel safe to imagine riding in a shared driverless vehicle\u2026 because it doesn\u2019t feel safe to be alone in a small, enclosed space with strange men,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n Broussard\u2019s Vox<\/em> piece doesn\u2019t cite any studies establishing the\u00a0role drivers play in keeping shared transportation safe or at least safe-feeling, but her anecdotal evidence is thought-provoking.<\/p>\n Today, much of the autonomous car conversation is focused on when we\u2019ll perfect the tech<\/a>, with occasional diversions to discuss how the vehicles might impact traffic<\/a>, decrease accidents<\/a>, or increase unemployment<\/a>.<\/p>\n The idea that a driverless future will make passengers feel less safe from the threat of other people isn\u2019t talked about much, if at all\u00a0\u2014\u00a0 but Broussard thinks we\u2019ll soon realize that it\u2019s a discussion we should have been having all along.<\/p>\n \u201cIn 50 years, we\u2019ll likely regret spending so much on this futile, antisocial endeavor,\u201d she wrote for Vox<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s time to collectively say no to the fantasy of the driverless car and invest in making our existing transportation systems better.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong>\u00a0Self-driving cars will be considered unthinkable 50 years from now<\/a> [Vox<\/em>]<\/p>\n More on self-driving cars:\u00a0<\/strong>Elon Musk Compares Driving a Non-Autonomous Vehicle in 2037 to Riding a Horse Today<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nSafety First<\/h2>\n
Just Say No<\/h2>\n