A self-driving vehicle manufactured by internet giant Google was involved in an automobile accident near the company’s headquarters. The company stated that the incident was not a result of the vehicle’s self-driving capability but because of human error from the driver behind the wheel. The company stated the vehicle was being manually driven at the time the accident took place. No injuries were reported but several witnesses stated there were at least five cars involved in the accident when it occurred.
The vehicle manufactured by Google contains several sensors throughout the vehicle that allow it to navigate across roadways. The company said its primary goal is to create vehicles that will ultimately prevent these types of incidents from occurring in the future. Google stated that during every test drive, a person has been behind the wheel in the event that the software controlling the car’s self-driving capabilities should fail.
There is no question that technology today is growing and increasing at a staggering rate; so much so that products are released continuously without regard to when the previous version was released. However, with this drastic increase of technology comes an increased risk of human error involved in testing or manufacturing that technology. Manufacturing a faulty product or incorrectly testing a product could produce serious and sometimes even fatal accidents as a result. Although the accident in this case was non-fatal and nobody was injured, it could have been much worse especially because the technology is still in the early testing phase.
While many of the products that technology manufacturers are creating could potentially be useful for most people, the fact remains that they could also be potentially harmful if they are not properly tested or if the company is negligent in its testing procedures. Although this vehicle is probably years away from its release, it is vital that the company ensure its safety especially since it is a product meant to transport passengers through busy roadways. The incident that occurred involving this vehicle could prove to be a small indication of what could occur if the technology is released too soon. Convenience should never take precedence over safety when an automobile is concerned.
