Why We Should Welcome Self-Driving Cars

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1. 01Why We Should Welcome Self-Driving Cars

   Good afternoon, everyone. Last month, I rode in a car with no one in the driver's seat. It was strange for about two minutes, and then it felt completely normal. Today, I'll argue that our cities should welcome self-driving cars.

   大家下午好。上个月，我坐了一辆驾驶座上没有人的车。大概前两分钟觉得很奇怪，之后就感觉完全正常了。今天，我要论证我们的城市应该欢迎自动驾驶汽车。

2. 02Already on Real Streets

   This isn't the distant future. Waymo launched a fully driverless ride service in Phoenix in 2020, and it expanded to San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2024. Ordinary people use these cars every day.

   这不是遥远的未来。Waymo在2020年于凤凰城推出了完全无人驾驶的打车服务，并在2024年扩展到了旧金山和洛杉矶。普通人每天都在乘坐这些车。

   Source: Waymo, service launches in Phoenix (2020) and San Francisco and Los Angeles (2024)

3. 03Reason 1: Fewer Crashes

   My first reason is safety. A 2024 study by the insurance company Swiss Re looked at twenty-five point three million miles driven by Waymo cars. Compared with human drivers, there were eighty-eight percent fewer property damage claims and ninety-two percent fewer injury claims.

   我的第一个理由是安全。保险公司瑞士再保险在2024年的一项研究中，分析了Waymo汽车行驶的两千五百三十万英里。与人类驾驶员相比，财产损失索赔减少了百分之八十八，人身伤害索赔减少了百分之九十二。

   Source: Swiss Re & Waymo, liability claims study of 25.3 million autonomous miles (December 2024)

4. 04Reason 2: Freedom for More People

   My second reason is freedom. Self-driving cars could help people who can't drive, such as older adults and people with some disabilities, get to work, to the doctor, or to see family on their own.

   我的第二个理由是自由。自动驾驶汽车可以帮助那些不能开车的人，比如老年人和一些残障人士，让他们能够自己去上班、去看医生或者去探望家人。

5. 05Reason 3: Machines Don't Get Tired

   My third reason is simple: machines don't get tired, drunk, or distracted by their phones. Many crashes happen because of human mistakes that a computer simply doesn't make.

   我的第三个理由很简单：机器不会累，不会喝醉，也不会因为看手机而分心。很多车祸都是因为人为失误，而这些失误电脑根本不会犯。

6. 06"But They Still Make Mistakes"

   Critics say self-driving cars still make mistakes, and that's true. But the question isn't whether they're perfect. It's whether they're safer than the humans they replace.

   批评者说，自动驾驶汽车仍然会出错，这是事实。但问题不在于它们是否完美，而在于它们是否比被它们取代的人类更安全。

7. 07Moving Forward Carefully

   Of course, we should move carefully. Cities should demand independent safety data, not just company reports, and set clear rules for when these cars can operate.

   当然，我们应该谨慎推进。城市应该要求提供独立的安全数据，而不只是企业自己的报告，还要明确规定这些车在什么情况下可以上路。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, self-driving cars are already here, and the early data is promising. With strong rules and honest data, they could make our streets safer for everyone. Thank you.

   最后，自动驾驶汽车已经来了，而且早期数据很令人鼓舞。只要有严格的规则和真实的数据，它们就能让我们的街道对每个人都更安全。谢谢大家。