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The impact of self-driving cars is anticipated to be wide-ranging in many areas of daily life. Self-driving cars (also known as autonomous vehicles or AVs) have been the subject of significant research on their environmental, practical, and lifestyle consequences and their impacts remain debated.[1][2]
Some experts claim substantial reduction in traffic collisions and the resulting severe injuries or deaths. United States government estimates suggest 94% of traffic collisions have humans as the final critical element in crash,[3] with one study estimating that converting 90% of cars on US roads to AVs would save 25,000 lives per year.[4] Other experts claim that the number of human error collisions is overestimated and that self-driving cars may actually increase collisions.[1][5]
Self-driving cars are speculated to worsen air pollution, noise pollution, and sedentary lifestyles,[4] to increase productivity and housing affordability, reclaim land used for parking,[6] cause greater energy use, traffic congestion and sprawl.[6] The impact of self-driving cars on absolute levels of individual car use is not yet clear; other forms of self-driving vehicles, such as self-driving buses, may actually decrease car use and congestion.[7]
AVs are anticipated to affect the healthcare, insurance, travel, and logistics fields. Auto insurance costs are expected to decrease, and the burden of cars on the healthcare system to reduced. Self-driving cars are predicted to cause significant job losses in the transportation industry.
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