As you drive along Alabama highways, you notice many commercial trucks carrying goods across the country. While you may have fears that exhaustion, alcohol or drugs could affect your safety next to a large truck, you don’t expect the driver’s seat to be empty.
Across the country, many companies have started to test self-driving trucks on public highways. But some in the industry say that the technology is not advanced enough. As more autonomous vehicles take to the road, drivers could be at risk of serious accidents.
Testing may ignore safety concerns
Many different technology companies have started developing self-driving features for commercial vehicles. As the limitations of autonomous cars have started to show, these businesses have tried to capitalize on the simplicity of truck driving. The vehicles have much less interaction with obstacles like pedestrians and traffic lights. Driving on highways also requires less turns and stops.
But one company has decided against pursuing the industry due to safety concerns. They claim that technology is still not ready for public testing. But since many companies want to cash in on a potentially lucrative industry, they have not made safety a priority. As they put their vehicles onto roads, they could put people at risk.
Accidents with trucks can cause severe injuries
As you share the road with trucks, you can already face life-altering injuries. Large vehicles operated by negligent or exhausted drivers can cause severe accidents with your small car. But with roads designed for human drivers, the question remains for how dangerous autonomous vehicles will be.
As companies continue to develop and test their products, you could see driverless trucks on Alabama roads. If you do, you may want to steer clear until the technology improves.
