Many Cars, No Drivers?

What did U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx predict in 2016?

• That autonomous vehicles would be carrying lots of people to work or school within five years.

• That driverless cars would never become a reality.

• That driverless cars would be available only in Europe.

• That human-driven cars would become obsolete.

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Which of the following is NOT a feature already available on new cars for automated driving?

• Real-time cameras and artificial intelligence (AI).

• Sensors that detect obstacles.

• Electronic stability control systems.

• Automatic emergency braking.

What is one reason why driverless cars might be safer than human-driven vehicles?

• Driver error often causes accidents.

• Driverless cars can fly.

• Driverless cars are slower.

• Driverless cars are cheaper.

What is one of the complaints riders have about Google's Waymo robot taxi service?

• Shaky driving and weird drop-offs.

• Too many human drivers.

• Too fast driving.

• Too expensive.

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According to a survey by the Partners for Automated Vehicle Education, what is the public opinion on driverless cars?

• Most Americans are skeptical about the safety of these cars.

• Most Americans are excited about driverless cars.

• Most Americans have never heard of driverless cars.

• Most Americans think driverless cars are too expensive.

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In 2016, what new technology did U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx predict would change the way that Americans get around?

• autonomous vehicles

• jet planes

• steam-powered engines

• augmented reality

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The author lists some features necessary for autonomous vehicles that are currently available in normal cars as safety features. What is an example of one of these features?

• voice-controlled braking and steering systems

• voice-controlled heating and air conditioning

• automatic emergency braking systems

• automatic lights that turn on at night

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What is one reason why driverless cars probably haven’t yet reached the popularity that Anthony Foxx predicted in 2016?

• Many Americans still don’t trust driverless cars and don’t want to use them.

• Many Americans can’t afford to take driverless taxis because they’re so expensive.

• Many major car companies said that they wouldn’t make driverless cars.

• Many American states have banned driverless cars for safety reasons.

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In order to react like a human driver would, driverless cars must have the ability to make decisions in the moment.

What evidence from the text supports this conclusion?

• “In addition, driverless vehicles might even be safer than human-driven vehicles. After all, it is often driver error that causes accidents.”

• “Despite progress, the roads won’t be full of automatic vehicles very soon.”

• “Engineers have already delivered numerous innovations necessary for automated driving. Some are available on new cars as safety features.”

• “[Driverless cars] will need to be able to change their route in order to avoid unexpected construction or an accident that is blocking traffic.”

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What is the main idea of this text?

• Driverless cars have some features that are already included in many cars, including automatic braking systems, sensors that detect obstacles, and stability control.

• Driverless cars are being developed to include safety features and real-time decision making powers, but they still have a way to go before they become a major part of U.S. transportation.

• Waymo is a Google service that is offering driverless taxis to customers in Arizona and California, but human drivers are still in those cars to monitor the robot taxis.

• Many Americans are uncomfortable with the idea of riding in a driverless vehicle for safety reasons, but some people are excited about the future of driverless cars.

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