Car Sounds Can Be Helpful For Self-Driving Cars That Are Paying Attention

Dr. Lance Eliot, AI Insider

[Ed. Note: For reader’s interested in Dr. Eliot’s ongoing business analyses about the advent of self-driving cars, see his online Forbes column: https://forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/]

The sounds of silence.

You might have thought that I was referring to the famous song by Simon and Garfunkel, but I am actually referring to the moments in which silence is golden. In particular, I’m referring to cars that are “silent” in that they aren’t making any rattling, grinding, clanging, or banging sounds as you happen to be riding in them.

Car Noises Usually Are A Bad Sign

Usually, any such ear catching sounds are bound to mean that there is something wrong with the car and you are likely at risk while riding in the vehicle.

At any moment, the engine might seize up, the axle might crack and fail, or any number of maladies might emerge.

Of course, sometimes the disturbing noise coincides with the actual failure event itself, in which case, the car problem is likely more apparent than the noise that you might have heard (the car sharply swerving, or the engine halting tends to draw more attention than the noise itself).