It was only a matter of time that the smart functionality of mobile devices and computers would be extended to automobiles. Several tech giants such as Google and Tesla have been aiming to bring their ambitious plans to fruition. But even if these companies is able to realize their dreams, the question on our minds is – would such vehicles be a popular commodity in Pakistan? Let us find out.
The tech-savvy population might be inclined to test the waters of self-driving vehicles, but these are too few in number to turn the tides of popularity. Similar to the impressions that consumers have regarding online stores, the trust factor is going to play a pivotal role in making or breaking the market for driverless cars here. As of right now, we can safely say that majority of the population are not going to risk their lives on this strange new gizmo. There are some psychological issues to ponder too. In order to first make driverless cars viable in Pakistan, the behavior towards such trends in technology from the majority of the population of the country will have to change.
Driverless cars are certainly looking like the future, and while Pakistan is definitely embracing the technological talent that has sprouted in the past couple of years, there are more than a few obstacles can’t be brushed aside. First off, there are more than several locations in the country that require a huge development makeover as far as roads are concerned. Since developed regions are testing out driverless vehicles on their own turf, they have currently not taken into account the underdeveloped transportation routes present in several regions. While there has been software developed to tackle such things, there will be a need for more sophisticated levels of it in order to cater to the Pakistani streets.
The lack of traffic regulations means that such driverless cars are going to have to feature software that reacts quickly to spontaneous incoming and oncoming traffic. One of the reasons why driverless cars are going to slowly pick up the pace in Pakistan initially is because consumers will definitely be worried about potential damage to their expensive investment, which can happen either as a result of buggy software (which cannot decide which direction to take) or as a result of the mistake of the other driver, which is more likely to occur. Due to lack of penalization and lax enforcement of traffic regulations, the number of these accidents are more likely to remain high. In other words, if driverless cars do stand a chance to enter Pakistan, then it is the traffic laws and their enforcement that need to be thoroughly improved upon.
Ethical decisions made by driverless cars in life-or-death situations are going to be a very popular subject. Many times we have seen that if there is an imminent, yet unavoidable crash, then drivers attempt to swerve their way out of trouble, not only to protect themselves and their vehicles, but also the other driver, and surrounding traffic. In order for driverless cars to enter Pakistan, the very intelligent software will have to be developed in order to decide what to do in a given circumstance. Right now, any software at any platform is far from perfect and developers are really going to have to put in a lot of effort when lives are potentially on the line.
We believe that the above-stated factors will greatly depend upon self-driving cars entering Pakistan. In a quick turn of events, Uber announced that they will be launching in Pakistan, so it is highly possible that an element of driverless cars is present among us. However, in order for such vehicles to popularize, the above-stated factors will have to be looked upon by the government and citizenry alike. Let us hope that in the distant future, Pakistan has all the pieces and infrastructure in place to welcome technology with open arms.