Will Autonomous Cars Make Uber Rides Safer? Here’s What You Need To Know

Ridesharing companies employ contemporary technological breakthroughs via customer-to-customer business to connect passengers with drivers in the fastest way possible. Safety in the rideshare industry, however, is limited by the numerous accidents that occur yearly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration links 94% of motor vehicle accidents to human errors. Therefore, Uber’s move towards automation is one of the best ways of reducing Uber car accident cases and ensuring safety in the business.

Security in the motor vehicle industry

The advancement of vehicle technology seeks to provide even increased safety and security advantages and, eventually, self-driving systems that can control the overall task of driving especially where people don’t want to or otherwise prefer not to drive. Alongside the convenience, the technology will significantly encourage the consideration of user safety irrespective of where they are. The majority of today’s new automobiles including Uber’s contain technology that, along with many other things, assists drivers minimize drifting into other lanes or making risky lane changes. It also notifies drivers of other vehicles following them while backing up, and autonomously brakes in case of a motor vehicle ahead of them stopping or slows down suddenly.

In March 2018, a pedestrian was reportedly hit by an automated Uber car that led to a series of discussions regarding road safety with car automation. Following the accident which happened in Tempe, Arizona, Uber has had to revise its approach towards automation in the industry. Uber’s strategies included specialist operators to monitor the car and another to monitor the environment. With one of the specialists at the wheel, the chances of an Uber car accident are minimized significantly. Uber also claims to instill improvements such as the official release of a Safety Case Framework and an independent board for Safety and Responsibility Advisory. However, the reality is, despite best efforts, accidents still happen. So in case of an Uber car accident, one aspect that shouldn’t be omitted is legal aid.

The move towards autonomous Uber rides

In 2020, Uber had obtained permission to test their driverless cars on public roads. While Uber has sold the self-driving unit to start-up Aurora Technologies, the company’s regard for safety remains within their focus. Their plans to invest in the automatic vehicle business are likely to succeed with safety as their strategy. Total self-driving vehicles, for example, are not ventured into until matters of technological feasibility, affordability, and safety are considered. This allows Uber ample time to examine all issues surrounding security and how to approach them.

Overall, technological advancement is progressive. There is no doubt that companies such as Uber are headed towards maximizing the effectiveness of automation. Even though controversies still exist concerning safety with self-driving cars, it is almost certain that they will prevent most accidents.