The Autonomous Motor Vehicle — Friend or Foe?

By Larry King

Published in

Homeland Security

4 min readFeb 11, 2016

The motoring world as we know it is changing dramatically before our eyes. Autonomous motor vehicles will have a tremendous impact on our transportation system. Who could have ever imagined an automobile traversing our streets without a driver manipulating the steering wheel, accelerator or brakes as needed? There have been milestones in the past that must have caused excitement for the masses but could any of them have had the implications that autonomous vehicles are having today?

One of the notable markers came with the introduction of the assembly line. This ranks right at the top as one of the greatest moments for motoring. Mass production significantly lowered the cost of a motor vehicle and made it attainable for the average citizen.

There is a whole gamut of benefits that can be realized as this technology takes over our roadways. Since most accidents are attributable to driver error, there will be fewer occurrences and consequently lower injury and fatality rates. As more autonomous vehicles come on line, traffic flow will become more efficient. This means more vehicles will be able to occupy the same area on a roadway and still maneuver safely. Think of the increase in productivity that can be realized.

Fleets of autonomous trucks can deliver cargo in minimal time without regard for regulations that limit the number of a driver can continuously drive.
Occupants can tend to other activities as vehicles navigate on their own. Will the stress that we experience from reckless drivers, congestion and other distractions become a thing of the past?

There is a downside to all of this. It revolves around homeland security. It is certain that those who are intent on inflicting terror on our society will find some way to manipulate this technology in order to turn it against us. We have seen this before. Consider the encryption programs that are utilized in telecommunications. It was created to provide protection against unwarranted intrusions. Unfortunately it has become a major challenge to law enforcement as they battle a criminal element that employs encryption to their advantage.

How can an autonomous vehicle be a threat to homeland security? The Tesla Motor Company, a leader in autonomous vehicle development, has created a remote app for a smart phone that will allow an operator to summon an autonomous vehicle to particular location. Can it be manipulated to deliver an explosive device without the need for a driver to serve as a suicide bomber? Autonomous vehicles may also be vulnerable to hacking which presents another set of problems. The networks that these vehicles rely on have no fixed infrastructure and the open wireless medium exposes them to potential for attacks.

Autonomous vehicles are here to stay. We have embraced this technology and all that it has to offer. At the same time, we have to be cautious and enact security protocols to ensure the safety of us all. Development of a partnership between vehicle manufacturers and government officials could satisfy the desire to move ahead while keeping an open eye to prevent destructive agents from leveraging this technology to destroy us.

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The Autonomous Motor Vehicle — Friend or Foe?

By Larry King

Written by Homeland XYZ