Google field-tested a driverless car that drove five hundred miles with only one accident, which was when a human was driving the car. Driverless cars are hardly a new idea, but recently in the 21st century, it has become more and more of a reality. Ever since 2009 "Google has had cars that could drive independently under specific conditions" (Author). Driverless cars haven't been perfected yet and still rely on human assitance now and then, but with a few more years of research they could mass-produced.

Driverless cars should be used to replace current cars, trucks, and buses. They could be used like taxis and would use half as less fuel than what current taxis use. Additionaly, they are more manueverable than buses and are more practical for wide-spread use. Google cofounder Sergey Brin believes "such cars would fundamentally change the world" (Author). If the future he envisions is to become reality, then there are some barriers that need to be broken through.

Currently, driverless cars have to rely on human drivers to manuever through roadwork, accidents and other complicated traffic issues. We have yet to acquire sensors and technology advanced enough to handle situations like these. That hasn't stopped companies like Google who "modified [a] Toyota Prius [that] uses position-estimating sensors on the left rear wheel, a rotating sensor on the roof, a video camera mounted near the reaviwe mirror, four automotive radar sensors, a GPS reciever, and an inertial motion sensor" (Author). This car, dubbed LIDAR, cannot drive on its own as of yet. Other companies have just been developing driving assistants such as BMW's "Traffic Jam Assistant". Another big problem for companies trying to advance cars is states themselves. Since most driving laws focus on keeping drivers, passengers, and pedestrians safe, most states have made illegal to even test computer-driven cars because lawmakers believe "safety is best achieved with alert drivers" (Author). States like California, Nevada, Florida, and the District of Columbia have led the country in allowing limited use of semi-autonomous cars. Still, manufacturers believe that "more states will follow as soon as the cars are proved more reliably safe" (Author). Even if traffic laws change, new laws will be needed in order to cover liability in the case of an accident.

While completely driverless cars are somewhere in the distant future, and most people are still apprehensive about them, the impact that driverless cars can have on the economy and the world is astounding. As more and more years go by, companies are getting closer and closer to figure out this complex equation. People will just have to get used to this new advancement in technology and move on because these cars can make a difference.