The future we are heading to

Greetings!

One thing I fancy so much whenever I'm watching a Sci-Fi movie is the high level of tech features, such as robotic acts and self-driving devices like cars and other automobiles that do not yet exist in the real world.

Talking about self-driving cars, I admire them so much and wish to own one someday. However, the problem is that they are not usable in Nigeria currently, or let me say, in the state where I live.

In movies, these cars operate on very well-coordinated roads, where every location, junction, and movement is programmed into the system. The traffic control on the road is programmed in such a way that these cars can detect traffic lights and know when to move and when to stop. There are areas where humans don’t cross or where motorcycles are not allowed, and these features are implemented in the cars.

So, I'm imagining a situation where this type of car is put on the road in my city. It would surely cause havoc and result in many fatalities because there is nothing like a traffic light that can be transmitted to such a car, nor are there designated spots where pedestrians or motorcyclists are not allowed to cross the road. This means the car would just be clearing off pedestrians and motorcyclists along the way.

Someone may say that such cars operate with human detectors and know when to stop. Yes, no doubt about that, but come on, it’s not everything or everyone it will be able to detect, especially given the way Nigerians live their lives.

I would love to have such a car if I were living in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, Abuja. I’ve seen their roads and lifestyle, and they seem a bit more upgraded compared to other places in Nigeria. I’ve watched videos of car racing activities in Abuja, and they appeared so good. So, I think having this car would be very nice in Abuja.

---

But, if an accident occurs, who is to be blamed?

I think one of the reasons this type of car is not yet widely welcomed is the rate of accidents it could cause. It’s going to be very complicated handling such cases in the court of law because, if you look closely, both the owner and the producer of such a car would be held responsible. Well, in advanced countries, I think the blame is solely on the owner if the car causes an accident because the company could argue that the owner didn’t configure the destination properly or didn’t appropriately set the keys to identify dangers along the way. This is similar to when a user mishandles electronics and they malfunction.

As it stands in my country, if such a car is used and an accident occurs, both the company and the owner would be questioned because there’s a reason it’s called a smart car. Even if such a car serves its purpose well in other countries, producing a car to be used in Nigeria should be done in a smarter way, not just the standard smart design.
The owner should also be held responsible for not properly configuring the settings and precautions if that’s the reason for the accident.

Thanks for reading.

---

_{This is my entry to the Week 133, Edition 02 of the Weekly Featured contest in Hive Learners Community}

Image source 1 & 2