Google announced today that their driverless cars are cruising around Mountain View, CA. Although the cars will ultimately drive without any driver controls, the cars being used in the current test phase include removable controls in case the qualified driver on board needs to, literally, grab the wheel.
Google hasn’t been clear about how long the testing process will be, but it will probably be several years before the cars are widely available to the public.
It’s hard to deny the cute factor of these new cars, but some consumers have voiced concerns about the safety of the driverless vehicles — and Google’s lack of transparency — after Google co-founder Sergey Brin said that Google wouldn’t be releasing accident reports for the 12 collisions involving the driverless car prototypes.
Recently, Google attempted to ease public fears by disclosing more details of the accidents in addition to launching a website dedicated to the driverless car project and designed to address feedback.
The cars are capped at a “neighborhood-friendly 25 mph,” so if you see a cartoonish-looking vehicle puttering along a public road in Mountain View, you might be witnessing the first phase of a new era of driving.
What do you think about the push for driverless vehicles? Comment below or tweet @MNetBridget.
