GeoTraffic debates Google's #driverless cars!

All of the recent news about the development of Google's driverless cars has stirred up quite a bit of buzz in the transportation world, particularly at GeoTraffic. As a company dedicated to making an individual's commute as painless as possible, we are collectively on board for anything that will continue to move our goals forward. However, we found ourselves in an argument over the pros and cons of autonomous cars. Will they be the future of commuting, or, will they cause more harm than good? Kristin and Erin, two of our reporters and the GeoTraffic marketing team, go nose to nose.

Erin: I understand the hesitation and fear that comes from the idea of a car controlled completely by a computer. It leaves little room for error and computers crash all the time. However, this is all in beta testing; it's an idea at its utmost infancy. Certainly by the time the cars hit the consumer market, endless amounts of testing will be performed to ensure absolute safety and accuracy.

Sensor systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communication would mean less accidents, less injuries and even death in vehicle crashes. Additionally, members of society who are limited in their ability to travel would now have access to transportation, such as the elderly and disabled. Also, driverless cars would take the worry out of being pulled over for speeding. (As someone with a lead foot, this would be great news for me. I wanna go fast!) In fact, most traffic violations would be a thing of the past, as would DUI's.

Humans could increase productivity in driverless cars as it allows us the benefit to check e-mails, work on school projects, or even just relax on our commutes. This is a benefit that many who take public transit enjoy currently; with driverless cars, we would all be able to multitask at a maximum amount. It also takes the stress out of vehicle travel, with driverless cars finding parking for you as well.

Driverless cars will also decrease the negative environmental consequences caused by vehicle emissions as there would be fewer cars on the road. Families would only need one car to suit the needs of every family member, and carpooling would be a much easier and more desirable option.

Kristin: Haven't we learned anything from Hollywood? Botox, tanning and robots are all bad, bad ideas. If driverless cars are made publicly available and widely used in the near future (in 7 years one article said), our generation will surely see some creepy dystopia before we are sporting Depends. There is no way an autonomous car is not leading us all down a slippery slope to being slaves to robots.

Not only that, we will have ironically foreshadowed our fate as a species with movies like iRobot and Smarthouse. Technology is supposed to help us, not do everything for us. The more control we hand over to all this smart technology, the weaker our minds and bodies become. Then suddenly we are floating along in hover chairs drinking all our meals out of straws (Wall-E.)

It would also be another blow to middle-class jobs, if drivers are no longer needed for the less-abled. Traffic divisions of law enforcement would be severely crippled. Taxi drivers would be on unemployment too. See ya later, school bus drivers and truckers!

Do we really need another "convenience" that robs us of living in the moment and taking in the world around us?

My commute is when I wind down for the day, listening to the buzz of AM radio or some music, tune out and just drive. I don't need another opportunity to check my email, do more work, schedule another doctor appointment or scroll through social media.

If autonomous cars become the norm in my lifetime, you can find me in my obedient stick-shift doing donuts and blasting Melissa Etheridge (go to the :48 mark.)

What do YOU think about driverless cars? Let's hear your opinion!!