Alphabet, with help from a number of partners, has launched an awareness campaign to educate consumers on the benefits of self-driving cars, and foster trust in the technology as it marches ever closer to mass market. The campaign is centered around a website and a social media push, both made to talk about how self-driving cars will help the public and revolutionize modern transportation. The site includes facts and figures from all of the partners to show why they’re backing Waymo’s project, along with a short intro to how Waymo’s technology works. The campaign is still accepting partners, and Waymo encourages those who are interested to talk about the campaign and self-driving technology in general by using the #LetsTalkSelfDriving hashtag on social media.
The first partner shown on the page is the Foundation for Senior Living, who says that seniors who have lost the ability to drive can regain their independence thanks to self-driving cars. To back this statement up, the organization points out that 80% of seniors out there live in areas where they’re forced to depend on vehicles to get around, among other relevant facts. Mothers Against Drunk Driving partnered up as well, and chimes in on the webpage to point out that 2 in 3 people are statistically shown to be impacted by a drunk driving incident in their lives, something that could be prevented by self-driving cars. The Foundation for Blind Children points to the independence that self-driving cars could give to the 1.3 million or so blind individuals currently living in America. While finally the East Valley Partnership advocates for increased productivity, pointing out that the average person spends about 50 minutes per day commuting, time that a self-driving car could allow to be spent working or relaxing.
Waymo’s self-driving car legacy spans over 8 years, during which more than 3 million fully autonomous miles have been driven. The company’s first successful drive on public roads with a live human alone in the car (with no control over it) took place back in 2015, and the technology has only advanced since then. As a bonus, Waymo provides links on the website to go to the Waymo site and learn more about self-driving cars, as well as a link for Phoenix residents to apply to be a rider in a self-driving car on public roads during the company’s current round of testing. More info through the link below.
Let's Talk Self-Driving