Self-driving cars begin hitting the road

Car companies have been working to produce self-driving cars in hopes to reduce the amount of automobile accidents.

More than 30,000 people died in 2015 from a motor vehicle crash, and that number continues to grow each year. Self-driving cars could hypothetically reduce that number as software can prove to be less likely to make an error than a human.

There are various designs being produced by Google, Uber, Tesla, Nissan, and other major automobile companies, but they all contain the same base software that follows traffic rules and navigate obstacles.

To prepare for this, lawmakers in 21 states have passed legislation for these vehicles.

The costs of self-driving cars are still to be determined, but companies hope the cars will overall impact safety, the environment, and equity.