Will Self-Driving Cars Ruin New York City?

According to Business Insider, people are beginning to trust self-driving vehicles more and more, and the trend will likely gain momentum. Studies have shown that driver-less cars could end up saving about 29,447 lives per year, but it is likely that this number will improve as the technology improves. There is no doubt that the hunger for these types of vehicles is real. The technology is getting closer to giving everyone, including those in New York, their wish but have people thought about everything?

How Might the City’s Revenue be Affected?

One of the major concerns that city officials have when it comes to driver-less vehicles is how they might affect the city’s revenue. There are many aspects of New York City that depend on human drivers. For example, the city has been known to collect as much as 1.9 billion in fines and traffic tickets. This revenue is used to pay city officials, the police department, and take care of general improvements for the city’s infrastructure.

City officials are afraid that introducing self-driving vehicles might decrease the number of people who own vehicles. People might end up using a driver-less service rather than dealing with traffic tickets and other expenses of owning a vehicle.

Expenses People May not be Considering

The people of New York might not understand the implications of driver-less vehicles just yet. For example, many insurance companies are still having a hard time recognizing a human error and a technology-based error. This gray area makes coverage rates in New York a little unpredictable. It is possible that the rates might go down, but it is just as likely that rates might go up, too.

Another aspect that people have to think about is installing and paying for things like a good VSAT service. These services will help ensure that the vehicle’s autonomous functions are in perfect condition, even when not in NYC. Reception might not be perfect in more remote areas.

Could the Culture in New York City Change?

There is no other place in the United States with New York City’s eclectic culture, but this might be in jeopardy because of driver-less cars in more ways than one. One thing that might be affected are the jobs available to the people. The city might not need so many police officers monitoring the city.

Some experts estimate that around 2.4 million truck drivers could lose their jobs should this technology affect their sector.

The numbers only get worse. The experts also estimate that about 180,000 taxi drivers and 160,000 ride-share drivers might end up losing their jobs when this technology is introduced. There are also 500,000 school bus drivers who might end up losing their jobs. Another 160,000 Americans employed by city bus drivers might join the unemployed, too.

There is no doubt that many New York City jobs are driver-based, which is something that has some New Yorkers worried. No one can accurately predict what could happen after such a drastic change to the culture in New York City. This could also mean that some people might have to move away if they do not find work. In short, money-flow in New York City might suffer due to driver-less vehicles.

The people of New York need to take into account how other businesses might suffer from such an economic blow for the people who live in New York City. Parking lot attendants, rental car agencies, and gas station attendants might also be in jeopardy; these jobs may not survive this change in New York City or other driver-dependent cities.

New Yorkers need to think about how the self-driving car might affect their city. The people need to be prepared for the ripple effects, which could be devastating for the entire city of New York. Only time will tell if New York City can survive the impending self-driving car revolution or not.

 

By: Vincent Stokes 

Tags: article, New York City, Self Driving Cars, technology

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