Since the invention of the automobile, more and more people have travelled throughout the country. Companies have developed several ways to make the automobile safer for drivers and other travellers on the road. Lack of performance for the driver and other factors have caused accidents in which lives have been lost. New manufacturers have incorporated the electric car to give drivers their options if they want to drive or not. Sales of fully electric vehicles are expected to grow steadily, especially on short city trips (Singh, p. 9). Road safety concerns must be addressed to prepare the path for integrating e-cars into current transportation networks. Therefore, this paper will deliberate on some potential hazards of electronic vehicles.
One possible threat offered by electric vehicles is the batteries that drive them. Many electric cars utilize lithium-ion batteries to power their internal electronics and motors. Lithium tends to react and become heated when subjected to any quantity of water, even atmospheric humidity. When heated sufficiently, the lithium catches fire. A single wreck from an electric car could cause everything around it to go up in flames because of the explosive battery that it uses. Hence, anyone in or around the car might be severely burnt when the battery is destroyed in an accident.
Additionally, cobalt, lithium, and other metals are fossil fuels required to produce technologies utilized in e-cars. If not done appropriately, mining, refining, and disposal of these minerals can pollute land, drinking water, and the environment (IER). Also, the cars could release hazardous gas that could dangerously pollute and make the environment around them harmful.
Another hazard is that electric cars, on average, emit far less noise than automobiles powered by combustion engines (Philippe et al.). It is a safety issue since people cannot hear the cars approaching as readily as they do with ordinary gas-propelled automobiles. Bicycle riders, pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and other motorists cannot hear the approaching cars, potentially resulting in accidents. Over the previous years, the number of night-time pedestrian incidents involving electric cars has considerably grown in the United States.
Most electric vehicles are equipped with autonomous technology. It implies the car can be put into auto-pilot mode in specific situations. Of course, this may be quite harmful since some individuals will irresponsibly exploit this feature. Many viral films have circulated showing motorists asleep in stop-and-go traffic as their vehicle drives. Most electric car manufacturers are developing methods to prevent this, requiring drivers to concentrate on the road and engage the driver in steering the vehicle. Also, the touchscreen used can blank out in case of a fault in the operating system, and the car would no longer be controlled promptly, increasing the chances of causing an accident.
In conclusion, electric cars are unsafe; they can cause significant problems and take many lives. Gas-powered vehicles are safer because they do not have modern technology like electric cars. Automobiles are not as dangerous, and you have control over everything in the car, unlike an electric car. Other road users like pedestrians and cyclists cannot hear approaching e-cars compared to petrol cars that can be heard from a distance. Finally, the minerals used in manufacturing electric car batteries are environmentally harmful.
Works Cited
IER. “The Environmental Impact Of Lithium Batteries.” IER, 2020, https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable/the-environmental-impact-of-lithium-batteries/.
Nitsche, Philippe, et al. “The impacts of electric cars on road safety: Insights from a real-world driving study.” Transport Research Arena 2014 Proceedings. Paris, France (2014).
Singh, Sarwant. “360 Degree Perspective of the Global Electric Vehicle Market Opportunities and New Business Models.” Frost & Sullivan (2010).
