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.

   大家午安。上個月，我坐了一輛駕駛座上沒有人的車。大概前兩分鐘覺得很奇怪，之後就感覺完全正常了。今天，我要論證我們的城市應該歡迎自動駕駛汽車。

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.

   這不是遙遠的未來。Waymo在2020年於鳳凰城推出了完全無人駕駛的叫車服務，並在2024年擴充套件到了舊金山和洛杉磯。普通人每天都在乘坐這些車。

   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.

   我的第一個理由是安全。保險公司瑞士再保險在2024年的一項研究中，分析了Waymo汽車行駛的兩千五百三十萬英里。與人類駕駛員相比，財產損失索賠減少了百分之八十八，人身傷害索賠減少了百分之九十二。

   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.

   我的第二個理由是自由。自動駕駛汽車可以幫助那些不能開車的人，比如老年人和一些殘障人士，讓他們能夠自己去上班、去看醫生或者去探望家人。

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.

   我的第三個理由很簡單：機器不會累，不會喝醉，也不會因為看手機而分心。很多車禍都是因為人為失誤，而這些失誤電腦根本不會犯。

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.

   批評者說，自動駕駛汽車仍然會出錯，這是事實。但問題不在於它們是否完美，而在於它們是否比被它們取代的人類更安全。

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.

   當然，我們應該謹慎推進。城市應該要求提供獨立的安全資料，而不只是企業自己的報告，還要明確規定這些車在什麼情況下可以上路。

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.

   最後，自動駕駛汽車已經來了，而且早期資料很令人鼓舞。只要有嚴格的規則和真實的資料，它們就能讓我們的街道對每個人都更安全。謝謝大家。