1 . Have you ever seen a rushing car without a driver?    1     Companies like Google and Tesla have been designing and testing these cars.

So how do they work? The cars have sensors all around which can detect other cars and obstacles in the road. Sensors on the wheels also help when parking, so the car knows how far it is from the kerb (马路牙子) or other parked cars. Road signs are read by cameras, and satellite navigation systems are used so the car knows how to get to your destination.     2    .

Sound like your idea of heaven? Sitting back, looking out of the windows and even watching a film or reading a book while “driving” would be possible with this new technology.     3     They would drive more safely than people and they have quicker reaction time in case of an emergency.

    4     For example, computers would have difficulties making ethical (伦理的) decisions: if a child ran into the road, would the computer choose to hit the child or swerve(突然转向) and potentially kill the car’s passengers?

Although being driven around by a machine would perhaps mean that no one needs a driving license, saving money for everyone, many people would be put out of a job by the dawn of driverless cars.     5     I’m not convinced I’d want a driverless car --- but it’s only a matter of time before they’ll become more affordable and commonplace on our roads.