Driverless cars could face threat from hackers trying to cause road chaos

Title: Driverless cars could face threat from hackers trying to cause road chaos

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/21/driverless-cars-hacking-threat-road-trials-january

Summary:

This article talks about the trials of the self driving car that is hitting the roads of 3 select areas in the United Kingdom in January 2015,  and then goes on to talk about how the self driving cars will be prone to hacking, and are likely to take the control over the car. The article talks about how the self-driving car could reduce road casualties by eliminating human error, however there is the counter point of the self-driving car could actually increase car accidents amongst motorists who will still use manual cars if and when they are mixing in the same roads. There is a prediction that within 15 years time there will be fully autonomous vehicles taking goods and people around Britain, which will bring cheaper and safer mobility for passengers.

Facts/phrases:

Ø  According to Dr Nick Reed, principal human factors researcher at the Transport Research Laboratory in Crowthorne, Berkshire, 95% of the 1.2m annual deaths worldwide on the road involve human error. 

Ø  “Recent reports analysing software show that 98% of applications have serious defects and in many cases there were 10-15 defects per application,” as stated by Hugh Boyes, the cyber security lead at the Institution of Engineering  and Technology.

Opinion:

In my opinion this article highlights a key issue of safety of new and digital media as there are newer and more dangerous risks that have been coming out with the introduction of technological developments. History will repeat itself again, similar to the introduction of the internet in the 90’s, where a new type of crime had been introduced and cyber cell departments had to be placed in the enforcement of laws. Perhaps they will be making laws like, you cannot hack into cars systems, with not succeeding, more and more accidents will take place. The whole network of self-driving cars will be a hackers playground with each car being his toys to manipulate.