SPECIAL SECTION I OUR AUTO INDUSTRY
I
Our Love Affair
with the Automobile
Written By Crystal Han
f you’ve ever
wondered how
deep our love
for cars goes, you only need to look
at our sprawling interstate highways,
our countless parking lots and garages,
and our car dealerships packed with
shiny new models. Over the years, our
towns and cities have been remodeled
and built to accommodate our cars
more than us. If we complain about
that horrible commute, it’s never the
car’s fault, but that our highways aren’t
wide enough, the speed limits aren’t
fast enough, or the traffic lights aren’t
efficient enough. Why do cars have such
a powerful hold on us? And is this ever-
lasting love or just an extended fling?
Once upon a time, in an effort to
change the public’s negative opinion
about cars, the automotive industry
sold the idea of “America’s love affair
with the automobile.” Since then, cars
have become intrinsic to the American
way of life. Americans see their cars as
a symbol of freedom and adventure.
Just hop in the car and you can go
wherever you want, whenever you
want; just you and the open road. A car
can become a makeshift house, a diner,
a portable club, or a place of medita-
tion. Whatever you need it to be, that’s
what it’s there for.
Our love for cars is so deep that
people often swear that their cars
have their own personalities. Some
are difficult and rebellious, some like
to go fast or slow. They all have little
idiosyncrasies that make them unique,
just like people, and quite often they
become like extensions of ourselves. But
perhaps what people love most about
cars is the feeling of control. We decide
how fast it goes and where it takes us,
something we can’t really say for other
aspects of our lives.
Experts say that we are now seeing a
rapid shift that’s comparable to the car
industry’s early days, and the center of
that shift appears to be self-driving cars.
Tech companies and car manufacturers
are spending billions to make self-
driving cars a reality. They claim that,
since most car accidents are caused
by user error, the use of self-driving
cars will lead to a safer driving experi-
ence and fewer fatalities. While these
companies are convinced that this is the
best future for cars, a recent MIT study
found that consumers disagree. The
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
june/july 2019
study questioned 3,000 participants
and found that 48 percent expressed
distrust in fully-automated vehicles.
When they conducted the same study
the following year, they found that
the percentage of distrust had grown
considerably. People of all age groups,
but especially younger individuals,
feel that technology isn’t advanced
enough to handle the complexities of
driving. There are too many unforeseen
circumstances on the road that can’t
be properly handled by an algorithm.
Until cars are as smart as humans, the
skepticism is likely to persist.
If you get to the heart of the public’s
distrust in self-driving cars, however,
you’ll find that it’s the lack of control
that really bothers us. Our cars would
no longer be an extension of ourselves,
but more like a chauffer. Sure, it would
be convenient at times, like if you
want to catch up on work or get some
extra sleep during your commute. But
that feeling of adventurousness and
spontaneity would be lost. It seems
that the love affair that car manufactur-
ers used to win the public’s favor will
now be their greatest obstacle.
gmhtoday.com
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