The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned about the possibility that criminals could use self-driving cars as a lethal weapon, according to the Guardian, which obtained an unclassified but restricted report under a public records request.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is developing a self-driving car, which is considered a game-changer in the auto industry. The FBI believed that autonomous cars will not only transform the auto industry, but it also has a high-impact on law enforcement.
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Self-driving car’s impact to law enforcement
The agency indicated in its report that autonomous cars “will have a high impact on transforming what both law enforcement and its adversaries can operationally do with a car.”
The Multitasking section of the report described how criminals could potentially use self-driving cars as a lethal weapon. The FBI noted that self-driving cars will enable bad actors to shoot at law enforcement officers pursuing them without looking at the road or controlling the steering wheel, which are impossible to do with today’s cars.
The FBI emphasized that self-driving cars “will male mobility more efficient, but will also open up greater possibilities of dual-use applications, and ways for a car to be more of a potential lethal weapon…”
In addition, the agency pointed out that self-driving cars can optimize three-point turns and other awkward maneuvers that could delays responders from chasing a suspect or going to a crime scene.
The FBI also indicated in the report that self-driving cars could significantly reduce the number of accidents involving responders. The agency wrote, “The risk that distraction or poor judgment leading to a collision that stems from a manual operation would be substantially reduced.”
Furthermore, the FBI said surveillance would be more effective and simpler with the next generation robot cars as there would be “less chance that a patrol car will lose sight of the target vehicle.”
Google’s self-driving cars designed to operate safely
According to Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), its self-driving cars are designed to operate safely and autonomously without the need for human intervention. The search engine giant said all of its sensors and software work and the “vehicle will be very basic, but it can take a person anywhere he or she wants to go by just pushing a button.