Human drivers or fully autonomous vehicles on all roads?

The question of whether human drivers or fully autonomous vehicles should dominate our roads centers on how society envisions the future of transportation, safety, and control. *Fully autonomous vehicles*—also known as self-driving cars—are equipped with advanced sensors, machine learning algorithms, and real-time data systems designed to operate without human intervention. These technologies have been in development since the mid-2000s, with major contributions from companies like Waymo, Tesla, Baidu, and Apple, as well as major automakers. Autonomous driving is typically categorized by levels defined by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), ranging from Level 0 (fully manual) to Level 5 (fully autonomous under all conditions). Most systems currently in operation—such as adaptive cruise control or Tesla's Autopilot—fall between Levels 2 and 3, where human supervision is still required. Level 5, where the vehicle operates independently with no steering wheel or pedals, remains largely experimental. Human driving, by contrast, has been the default for over a century. While humans bring flexibility, intuition, and moral judgment to driving, they are also responsible for over 90% of traffic accidents, according to global road safety reports. The push for automation aims to reduce collisions, improve traffic flow, and increase accessibility for the elderly or disabled.