You may or may not have heard about Google's self-driving cars. They're cute, a little anthropomorphic but that's on purpose. Of course there has been some outcries as to the dangers of self-driving cars and I understand the concerns.Yet! There is a benefit to promoting these for public use that most people do not consider.
Beyond safer roads free from distracted drivers, Google's self-driving cars have the ability to offer mobility to those in desperate need to such a degree that it could be considered life-altering! How you ask? Consider your parent(s) - let's say they're healthy vibrant individuals living and working, enjoying life till suddenly one or both are struck down with an illness, a disability, or life-altering stroke. Your parent(s) are suddenly immobile because they are unable to drive due to the previously mentioned health related issue and local, public, or alternative modes of transportation are time consuming. Medically speaking it is this life-altering interruption that can and statistically often does send mentally healthy people spiraling into a life-threatening depression. When life get's interrupted so does everything that happens in life - visiting friends, grocery/clothes shopping, entertainment, doctor's visits (etc). This is where Google's self-driving car can make a world of difference and not just to the elderly but to all people with disabilities or inabilities to access normal mobility. But don't take my word on it....
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