The future is here! By now many of us imagined there would be flying cars, hover boards and other “futuristic” elements seen on shows like The Jetsons. Well, we may not have those items, but we do have driverless cars.

Google has created a self-driving car that can navigate roads and get you from point A to point B without you having to manually operate the vehicle. As with most technology, there are pros and cons to wielding such power.

Pros to having a driverless car include:

• Improved Safety – according to one government study, computer-operated vehicles eliminates incidents involving alcohol, drugs, fatigue, speeding, aggressive driving, slow reaction times and more. Basically, it relieves the worry of human error from occurring.
• Shorter Traffic Times – each car is equipped with multiple sensors, allowing them to drive closer together, increasing the number of cars on the road, but with less traffic time.
• No Driver’s License needed – Everyone would be able to “drive” because there will be no need to pass a driver’s test. In Nevada, they have a special endorsement added to driver’s licenses for those with self-driving cars.

In addition to some of the great pros of having a self-driving car, there are a few cons including:

• Computer Malfunction – if the computer that automates the vehicle has a glitch or malfunction, it can cause a serious crash or worse.
• Expensive – the Google self-driving car is not for those on a budget. It can be extremely expensive for the common household to afford with the least expensive being priced at $100,000.
• Privacy – Because these vehicles are controlled by computers, tracking a person’s whereabouts and other information at all times is a large concern for many people. This data could easily be hacked, manipulated or used by government agencies and others.

Driverless cars are the next big wave of the future in the auto industry. With vehicles already running in Nevada and a computerized taxi service recently starting up, they are expected to become more and more popular. MVD Express in Albuquerque and the surrounding area welcome this new automotive technology with hopes that it will make its way to the Land of Enchantment sooner than later.

We here at MVD Express like to keep up with the ever-changing face of the auto industry and that is why we are constantly researching ways to provide a positive experience when adapting to new driver laws.

Albuquerque, New Mexico is home to many technological advances in the industry such as Hewlett Packard, Sandia National Labs and hopefully Tesla Motors soon. What are your thoughts about this new and exciting auto technology?