Self-Driving Cars are Causing Traffic Problems Because They’re Not Human

Since the self-driving car became a thing there have been many questions like, “What happens when four self-driving cars pull up to a four-way stop at the same time?” There is cause for concern, especially when there are reported incidents of cars driving into lakes and similar mind-boggling occurrences.

I love technology and the amazing advances that we’ve seen in just a few short years. If those with self-driving cars still need to be behind the wheel and pay attention, then why even have them? I think we will get to the point where we can sleep in our car while it drives us wherever we’re going, but we’re not there yet.

As long as there are questions and incidents, we’re not ready yet, and here’s some proof.

According to a new study by the University of Copenhagen, self-driving cars still fall short in at least one area.
Professor Barry Brown, from the University’s Department of Computer Science, says, "The ability to navigate in traffic is based on much more than traffic rules. Social interactions, including body language, play a major role when we signal each other in traffic. This is where the programming of self-driving cars still falls short." To remedy this issue, StudyFinds reported that scientists have suggested adding a fourth traffic light color.

The researchers took a deep dive into 18 hours of YouTube videos of self-driving cars making their way around various streets, and one common problem was clear to them. The robot driver can't interpret a human driver or pedestrian waving it to "go ahead.”
Instead, the robot car pauses, waiting for an obstruction to pass. However, in one case, the driverless car, which had stopped for pedestrians in a crosswalk who were willing to let the car pass, suddenly started moving again, causing the pedestrians to jump out of the way.

Brown shared their scary discovery, "The driverless vehicle stops so as to not hit pedestrians, but ends up driving into them anyway because it doesn’t understand the signals," The lack of ability to process social interactions like a "go ahead" wave, is a huge problem. He feels that "Besides creating confusion and wasted time in traffic, it can also be downright dangerous."

Misusing phrases is something that happens all the time. And there are a few reasons why it's so common. Languages are constantly changing and evolving, so what was right in the past might not be the case anymore. Plus, many of the phrases we hear being misused have become part of our everyday conversations. And we pick them up without knowing the correct meaning or usage.

When we're just having a casual chat, we tend to focus more on getting our point across quickly, rather than following strict grammar rules. But idioms and expressions can be super confusing, even for native speakers. You also have to consider that there are different regions and cultures that have their own ways of interpreting and using phrases. Misusing phrases is normal and a part of how language changes.

People mess up phrases more than you think. Those common sayings somehow get twisted and turned in ways no one ever intended. From funny mix-ups to downright confusing expressions. But what are some of the most common ones we all get wrong from time to time?

Here are some phrases that people mess up all the time, and you might've missed a few of them yourself.