1. Read and translate the text Driverless cars

1. Read and translate the text

Driverless cars

Since the industrial revolution, tedious human chores have steadily been handed over to machines. Going by this trend, the advent of fully computerized cars that drive themselves should only be a matter of time. A prototype has already been tested by researchers on Berlin's streets. It's the trend of the future with a range of built-in technology which allows it to see and maneuver through traffic on its own. Technophobes may shudder at the vision of speeding driverless cars, navigating through heavy traffic.

Accidents can potentially be eliminated if a machine's in charge. Their recognition of and reaction to the environment can be much faster and more accurate than a human being's.

Besides avoiding other tetchy drivers and road rage, we will have more productive time and leisure. If automated cars that drove themselves became the norm, we would no longer have that drunk driver to worry about.

The concept of a “driver” will be replaced with that of an “operator”, who simply programs the vehicle’s GPS to arrive at the desired destination and pushes the “Start” button to begin the trip. Since judgment will no longer be required of the operator, they won’t need a driver’s license. Theoretically, a 10-year-old child could independently take the car to school in the morning.

Computer-operated cars will eventually reshape the car design as things like windshields will become less necessary. Drivers will be able to sit wherever they’d like in their cars. There will be no need for gas and brake pedals as speed will be automatically controlled by the computer. The steering wheel and the turn signal arm can also be eliminated once the public gets used to reliability of these vehicles.

Technology skeptics shouldn't forget that at present aircraft comes equipped with an autopilot function, which in effect allows them to fly themselves. This hasn't made air travel any more unsafe than before - if anything, it's the contrary. It is high time that we rid ourselves of our fear of radical technological innovations.