Software

The Pros and Cons of Driverless Cars [#Infographic]

Self-driving cars could make our roadways safer, but they also introduce new privacy and legal concerns.

Nicole Blake Johnson

Twitter

Nicole is a social media journalist for the CDW family of technology magazines.

The thought of driverless cars cruising freely on the open road is both exciting and terrifying.

Autonomous cars could bring faster commutes, fewer crashes and greater fuel savings to motorists. So far, California, Florida, Michigan, Nevada and Washington, D.C., allow testing of driverless cars. If you’re curious to know how these cars operate on the road, The Washington Post chronicled the adventures of an autonomous car on the streets of D.C.

But like any developing technology, autonomous cars come with potential pitfalls. There are privacy, software and legal concerns. For example, who is liable if the car gets into an accident? Is the software that powers these driverless cars vulnerable to hacks?

Here’s an infographic from auto parts retailer CJ Pony Parts that weighs both the pros and cons of having self-driving cars on our roadways.