Driverless Cars Gets Neil deGrasse Tyson Seal Of Approval

As one of the most popular and beloved scientific figures in the world, if Professor Neil deGrasse Tyson says that a particular scientific trend is great, most people tend to pay attention. That’s why his words of endorsement regarding driverless cars are having great for the industry.

Prof. Tyson expressed his support for self-driving cars and miracle cures via Tweet. He made a clear connection between the reduction of deaths caused by traffic accidents and the emergence of driverless technology.

“When we cure all disease & stop aging, the leading cause of death will be Car Accidents, unless we develop Self-driving Cars,” the Tweet reads.

The Tweet hits on a few statistical facts that have long been on the minds of medical. With the myriad diseases, defects, and deterioration that humans suffer, frailty is certainly what kills the most number of humans in the world. Next to that is traffic accidents, which recent data shows is actually escalating to an alarming extent.

Supporters of self-driving cars and the makers of vehicles equipped with such capabilities have been insisting that removing human drivers from the equation would be considerably safer for everyone involved. Experts tend to agree with this sentiment, which is why various government agencies are trying to come up with a workable standard that allows for innovation within the tech industry.

On that note, if the proposal by a House Republican is approved, car makers working on self-driving technologies will be able to push for increased innovations. The proposal basically provides the US National Highway Safety Administration the power to decide on rules involving driverless vehicles, Reuters reports.

This would effectively neuter states from making their own rules regarding driverless tests on their roads. Although it has yet to pass, it’s expected to meet no significant obstruction given how much of the public’s attention is focused elsewhere.