In my personal opinion, driverless cars should not be developed due to the serious situations of computer failure, driver alertness, and legal conflicts. Each of these factors can have significant effects, from wrecks to law suits. Completely driverless cars may be a problem if these issues aren't addressed or taken into full consideration.

Computer systems on driverless cars seem to be complex and sophisticated in comparison to modern-day cars. This can be a positive, but it can also pose as a threat. If the computer system breaks down, the driver may not have time to react. How will the driver have the ability to take control in a broke down, completely driverless car? This is especially true if the driver has taken advantage of the relaxation involved with these cars and falls asleep. The driver may not even be aware that the system has failed. Plus, the complicated set up would make it an expensive, difficult system to repair.

Alertness is the most important element of driving, as described in the article. Yet, driverless cars would eliminate some of that awareness through entertainment systems. Yes, the in-car system's ability to shut off in case of an emergency is ingenious, but the driver won't be immediately prepared to take over in some cases. In addition. it's important for the driver to be on the look out for hidden patches of ice and other weather-related conditions that the driverless cars may not sense. Another example includes road construction. These instances require much care and caution, and a driver must know what's going on in order to reverse any mistakes the car wants to perform.

If an accident were to occur, the article mentions legal disputes: "If the technology fails and someone is injured, who is at fault--the driver or the manufacturer?" Through my eyes, that is a controversial problem to solve. Would the driver be accused of just not paying attention? Would the manufacturer be sued for a programming mistake? It can lean both ways; the driver could've been too distracted (but that's what the entertainment systems are for) or the manufacturers were inept for the task of building such a complex car. This is a debatable topic, and I don't believe it would be worth the time and money to come to a resolution.

In conclusion, driverless cars can still be a danger despite all the sensors. What it boils down to is driver awareness, which cannot always be helped. Instead of making even more drivers unalert with entertainment systems, we should concentrate on teaching drivers to be aware of their surroundings in all situations. Not everything can be solved through a technologically-advanced smart car, but many problems can be avoided if there is a driver operating in full control.