By now, you’ve probably heard that Waymo is planning to come to Charlotte. The self-driving car company has started the process of bringing its cars to our streets, and that raises questions about how to use the service. Autonomous vehicles are allowed in North Carolina under a 2017 state law that bars municipalities from regulating them. But how exactly do they work?
The biggest concern on many people’s minds is safety and the measures that go into the software that operates these vehicles. When it comes down to it, will autonomous cars be safer — or not — than cars driven by humans? And who is comfortable being a test passenger for autonomous cars?
Advocates say there are clear benefits. For people who are visually impaired, self-driving cars could mean more mobility. Some women also say they feel less afraid in self-driving cars than in those operated by a human.
But there are still many questions and concerns to be worked out before more self-driving cars hit the road. We look at the technology behind Waymo, how the rollout has gone in other cities, safety measures, and why the company chose Charlotte.
GUESTS:
Sridhar Duggirala, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Saahil Desai, senior editor at The Atlantic, where he covers technology and related issues, including self-driving cars and Waymo rollouts across the country
Ashley Fahey, managing editor at the Charlotte Ledger
