Self-Driving Cars Are Just Around the Corner
<p><span word="After">After</span> <span word="half">half</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decade">decade</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hard">hard</span> <span word="times">times</span>, <span word="US">US</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="manufacturers">manufacturers</span> <span word="sold">sold</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="automobiles">automobiles</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="customers">customers</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="before">before</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="Americans">Americans</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span>-<span word="efficient">efficient</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="typically">typically</span> <span word="loaded">loaded</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="electronic">electronic</span> <span word="devices">devices</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="within">within</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decade">decade</span>, <span word="manufacturers">manufacturers</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="drivers">drivers</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="expect">expect</span> <span word="semi">semi</span>-<span word="autonomous">autonomous</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fully">fully</span> <span word="autonomous">autonomous</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="safer">safer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="tiring">tiring</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> 2004 <span word="US">US</span> <span word="military">military</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="agency">agency</span> <span word="DARPA">DARPA</span> <span word="challenged">challenged</span> <span word="automotive">automotive</span> <span word="engineers">engineers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="build">build</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="self">self</span>-<span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="car">car</span>. <span word="Though">Though</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="course">course</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="simple">simple</span> <span word="obstacles">obstacles</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="traffic">traffic</span>, <span word="none">none</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="vehicles">vehicles</span> <span word="reached">reached</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="end">end</span>.</p><p><span word="Twelve">Twelve</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="later">later</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="advanced">advanced</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="manufacturers">manufacturers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="testing">testing</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="roads">roads</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="real">real</span> <span word="traffic">traffic</span>, <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="absolutely">absolutely</span> <span word="safe">safe</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="passengers">passengers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pedestrians">pedestrians</span>.</p><p>“<span word="I">I</span> <span word="figured">figured</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="able">able</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="smart">smart</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="drive">drive</span> <span word="itself">itself</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="car">car</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="smart">smart</span> <span word="enough">enough</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="safer">safer</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="perspective">perspective</span>, <span word="safety">safety</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="priority">priority</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Ford">Ford</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="James">James</span> <span word="McBride">McBride</span>.</p><p><span word="Google">Google</span> <span word="admits">admits</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="experimental">experimental</span> <span word="self">self</span>-<span word="driving">driving</span> <span word="cars">cars</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="calls">calls</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="points">points</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="late">late</span> 2014 <span word="incidents">incidents</span> <span word="happened">happened</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="every">every</span> 1,300 <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span>, <span word="while">while</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="happened">happened</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="every">every</span> 8,500 <span word="kilometers">kilometers</span>.</p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="safety">safety</span>, <span word="manufacturers">manufacturers</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="consumers">consumers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="willing">willing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="let">let</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wheel">wheel</span>.</p><p>“<span word="We">We</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="too">too</span> <span word="fast">fast</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="customer">customer</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="expecting">expecting</span> <span word="that">that</span>. <span word="There">There</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="learning">learning</span> <span word="curve">curve</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="place">place</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Kia">Kia</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Joseph">Joseph</span> <span word="Steffey">Steffey</span>.</p>
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