Alexandra Buxbaum/Sipa USA via AP Images (Waymo); Shutterstock.com (all other images)

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Are We Ready for Driverless Cars?

April 28, 2025
By Emily Fego

As You Read, Think About: Would you want to ride in a driverless car?

Mike Johns was trapped. He had taken a taxi to an airport in Phoenix, Arizona, last December. But instead of dropping him off, the car kept driving in circles around the parking lot. Johns couldn’t tell the driver to stop though—because there was no driver! The taxi was a self-driving car operated by a company called Waymo. 

By using the company’s app to talk to a representative from Waymo, Johns was able to get the car to park safely. He boarded his flight on time despite the dizzying detour.

A car that drives itself may seem like something from the future. But companies have been testing autonomous vehicles on America’s roads for more than a decade. Today several automakers sell cars with self-driving features. Meanwhile, Phoenix is one of four U.S. cities where passengers can catch a ride in a Waymo robotaxi. 

Driverless cars use cameras and sensors to detect their surroundings. Artificial intelligence, or AI, processes information to help the car act like a human driver would. And the more autonomous vehicles drive, the more they learn. Waymo reports that its cars have driven more than 40 million miles. 

But many people argue that the self-driving technology still has a long way to go. One research organization estimates that autonomous vehicles will need at least 11 billion miles of road testing before they can match the abilities of a human driver.

Alexandra Buxbaum/Sipa USA via AP Images
  1. Rooftop sensors scan the car’s surroundings to map the area in 3-D.
  2. No one is in the driver’s seat, but the car’s controls move the steering wheel and brake pedal.
  3. Cameras and sensors on the front, back, and sides detect traffic lights, other vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles.

Are we ready for cars that drive themselves?

Yes

Supporters of self-driving cars say they make roads safer. In 2022, nearly 290,000 people in the U.S. were injured in crashes that involved distracted drivers. But unlike people, driverless cars don’t get tired, angry, or tempted to scroll on a phone. They’re also programmed to obey all traffic laws, so they’re less likely to exceed the speed limit or run a red light. 

“They’re going to pay attention and follow the rules essentially all the time,” says Alain Kornhauser. He’s an engineering professor and the director of the transportation program at Princeton University. 

Proponents of autonomous vehicles say they could improve the lives of people who can’t drive or don’t have access to public transportation. Older people or those with disabilities could have an easier time getting around.

Kornhauser thinks that people just need to get comfortable with self-driving cars, as they have with anything new. 

“Maybe you were scared the first time you rode in an elevator. But the door just opened and you got out,” he says. 

More than 3,300 people were killed in crashes that involved distracted drivers in 2022. 

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

No

Many people argue that driverless cars aren’t ready for widespread use. That group includes Cathy Chase, the president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. For one thing, she questions whether the cars can handle poor weather. Their cameras and sensors help them “see” the road, but they might not function properly in heavy rain or snow. 

“You can’t say, ‘Well, you can only go in your autonomous vehicle when it’s 70 degrees and sunny,’” Chase explains. 

Another big concern is protecting the cars from cyberattacks. 

“What if a fleet of autonomous vehicles is hacked and goes 100 miles an hour? That could be very deadly,” says Chase. 

In a national survey in January, only 13 percent of respondents said they would trust riding in a driverless car. The same survey found that most people want automakers to focus on improving safety features in regular cars instead of developing self-driving vehicles.

Six out of 10 American drivers are afraid to ride in a self-driving car. 

Source: American Automobile Association 2025 survey

Analyze the Cartoon

An editorial cartoon uses pictures and words to share a point of view, often in a funny way. What message do you think this cartoon is sending?

© Jeff Koterba, Cagle Cartoons via CartoonStock.com
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1. What is the meaning of autonomous? What clues in the article help you determine this meaning?

2. Why does Alain Kornhauser talk about riding in an elevator? What point is he trying to make?

3. What are some details in the article that support the idea that self-driving technology “still has a long way to go”?

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