Those of us old enough to recall a choice bit of pop culture from the early 1980s might recall a fictional vehicle that seemed to have a mind and personality all its own. Its name was KITT, and it was the sporty, black car endowed with artificial intelligence on which one David Hasselhoff, in his role as Michael Knight, relied on in the TV show Knight Rider. Yes, David was a modern-day knight, and the robotic car was his trusty steed.
No longer just a corny invention of Hollywood, the robotic car is now a twenty-first century reality. Google has masterminded a self-driving car project, and created a fleet of robotic cars equipped with costly cone-shaped, roof-mounted lasers, as well as radars on their fronts, backs, and sides. And then there are elaborate maps to help them figure out just where to go. The cars can also self-adjust their speeds, keeping pace with the flow of traffic and slowing down for tight corners-or suddenly-appearing motorcycles-if necessary.
In February of 2012, the state of Nevada agreed to distribute special driving permits for robotic cars. Now, Google, as well as other companies that might work to create such futuristic vehicles, can legally test the self-driving cars on Nevada's roads. Eventually, after more years of intense development and testing, these amazing cars will be available to the public.
Seem like a scary prospect? For some, the idea of giving up control of one's car to a robot is bit unnerving. Proponents of robotic cars insist, however, that the vehicles will actually save thousands of lives. Unlike humans, robots don't suffer fatigue. They don't get distracted. They don't text and chat on cell phones while driving. And, already, a robotic car can perceive things that no human driver can, like the vehicles driving in front of an eighteen wheeler, which would be invisible to a person. This degree of perception is due to the robotic car's radars. These and other features may prevent the many car accidents and deaths that occur due to human error.
How might robotic cars affect not only road safety, but also auto insurance? Will the insurance premiums of the future be considerably lower if robotic cars dramatically lessen the number of accidents? Only time will tell. We'll just have to do what the children of the 1980s did when they wondered whether a car like KITT would ever become a reality: wait and see.
To find out more information about car insurance for drivers in Virginia, contact Robins Insurance today.