Using the references you identified in the module 1, write a first draft of your paper in 2750- 3000 words.

Running head: THE IMPACT OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ON PUBLIC HEALTH 1

THE IMPACT OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ON PUBLIC HEALTH 7

The impact of autonomous vehicles on public health

Name

Institution affiliated

Date

Altarum Institute (n.d.) AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND PUBLIC HEALTH. Retrieved from https://altarum.org/sites/default/files/uploaded-publication-files/Autonomous%20Vehicles%20Factsheet.pdf

This article defines what autonomous vehicles are, and it explains the potential public health benefits. Some of these benefits are associated with increased road safety, reduced environmental pollution, enhanced land use and urban planning, reduced driving stress, and health equity. One of the crucial information presented in the article is the impact of traffic congestion on health. According to the article, congestions cause delays which, in turn, reduce job performance and high blood pressure. Also, autonomous cars can improve urban planning and design by creating more space in towns for promoting sedentary lifestyles among urban dwellers. The article makes a crucial point about stress reduction, which will form a considerable part of the peer-reviewed report. Stress is an essential determinant of health, and it will be interesting to know how autonomous cars will reduce stress.

Dean, J., Wray, A. J., Braun, L., Casello, J. M., McCallum, L., & Gower, S. (2019). Holding the keys to health? A scoping study of the population health impacts of automated vehicles. BMC public health, 19(1), 1258.

A lot of research that has gone into autonomous vehicles has mainly focused on the technology behind them. However, very little attention is given to understanding how these type of cars will impact public health. Authors, therefore, fill in this gap by demonstrating a link between autonomous vehicles and public health. They show that developments in autonomous cars should not just be a matter of civil and transportation engineers, but also public health officials should be involved. Some of the links the authors establish between autonomous ma cars and public health include air purity, road safety, and equity. This article presents an entire body of knowledge on what is known so far about the health implications of autonomous cars, and it is useful in defining the problem of the evidence-based report and suggesting solutions.

Fleetwood, J. (2017). Public health, ethics, and autonomous vehicles. American journal of public health, 107(4), 532-537.

For a long time, public health has focused on minimizing post-crash injuries as demonstrated by the rapid development and adoption of automatic airbags and seatbelts. These technologies fall short of what is most important: preventing crashes from happening in the first place. Yet, autonomous vehicles hold the future of accident and collision prevention. With high-power sensors and cameras, these cars can detect incoming crashes and prevent them. According to the author, autonomous vehicles can avoid the deaths of close to 30,000 people who die from road carnages in the U.S. every year. Autonomous cars, however, are criticized for reducing the use of healthier means of transport such as walking, jogging, and biking. In addition to discussing the potential health benefits of autonomous cars, this article also considers the health risks associated with them. As such, the author gives a balanced view of autonomous vehicles. The article will be useful in developing hypotheses and further refining the scope of the evidence-based report.

Kelley, B. (2017). Public health, autonomous automobiles, and the rush to market. Journal of public health policy, 38(2), 167-184.

According to this article, the U.S. has the most significant road safety problems among developed countries. Analyzing road and motor vehicle safety as a public health concern, therefore, will pave the way for examining the benefits and risks of autonomous vehicles. This article gives the response of road safety experts and the government about self-driven cars. Authors also discuss the ethical implications of autonomous vehicles such as who shall be responsible when these cars cause accidents. The article also investigates the available policy guidelines of autonomous vehicles and how these policies can be improved to facilitate the realization of the potential of self-driven cars. It is a useful article for observing the adoption of autonomous vehicles in the U.S., including the position of the government as well as manufacturers on autonomous cars.

Nunes, A., & Hernandez, K. D. (2019). Autonomous Vehicles and Public Health: High Cost or High Opportunity Cost?.

This article examines the cost and opportunities of autonomous vehicles from the perspective of public health. It presents a detailed analysis of the potential public health costs of these cars and compares them with the potential benefits. The adoption of autonomous vehicles will largely depend on their benefits over costs. With many people losing their lives while others sustain life-long injuries as a result of road accidents, any solution to this public health problem would be acceptable. However, adopting self-driven cars will not only depend on their health benefits but their risks as well. This article is useful in comparing the health benefits of autonomous cars with their costs. It will help in evaluating the adoption of autonomous cars as a solution to public health issues caused by road transport.

Pettigrew, S. (2017). Why public health should embrace the autonomous car. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 41, 1-3.

In this article, the author explains various reasons why he thinks autonomous cars are suitable for public health. The author identifies three thematic areas that show why public health should adopt autonomous vehicles, including accident prevention, climate change, and inclusivity in society. Other than these potential benefits, the author also warns of possible unintended public health outcomes such as increased use of vehicles which will increase pollution. Finally, the author describes the role of public health in the development of autonomous cars. He insists that public health must be involved in research and development to, for example, come up with strategies that will help keep physically active and prevent the health pitfalls of door-to-door transportation provided by autonomous cars. The article is useful because it outlines the role of public health in ensuring that the technology behind autonomous cars is gotten right. The material will be used to formulate an approach for public health involvement in the development and adoption of self-driven cars.

Pettigrew, S., Talati, Z., & Norman, R. (2018). The health benefits of autonomous vehicles: Public awareness and receptivity in Australia. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, 42(5), 480-483.

While the health impacts of autonomous vehicles can only be optimized when a significant percentage of vehicles operate autonomously, some benefits are already felt. In this article, the authors examine the current level of receptiveness of autonomous vehicles and their perceived public health benefits. Most importantly, the authors create awareness about the many health benefits of self-driven cars. Some of them include reducing road carnage, pollution, and driving stress. Autonomous vehicles also increase the mobility of people who would otherwise not be able to drive. Furthermore, self-driven cars promote cyclist safety. This article will help to define public health problems and to demonstrate how conventional vehicles pose a threat to public health.

Rojas-Rueda, D., Nieuwenhuijsen, M., & Khreis, H. (2017). Autonomous Vehicles and Public Health: Literature Review. Journal of Transport & Health, 5, S13.

In this article, the authors investigate the impact of autonomous vehicles on public health through scientific literature review. The study established a pathway between autonomous cars and health through the reduction of road accidents, enhanced air quality, and increased the mobility of elderly persons and other vulnerable groups. Although autonomous vehicles have vast potential, they may also result in pollution and public health safety as a result of hacking and systems failure. The article, therefore, offers a balanced view of the impact on autonomous vehicles on public health. It is a useful source because it explains both sides of the topic indicating why autonomous cars are good and why they are bad. It can be used to discuss, in great detail, the benefits and disadvantages of autonomous vehicles from a public health standpoint.

Stockton, N. (2010). So, Self-Driving Cars Could Make Humans Unhealthier Than Ever. Wired. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/self-driving-cars-obesity-pollution-public-health/

Stockton warns that blunt-force trauma resulting from car carnage is not the only cause of death. Besides blunt-force trauma, thousands of people also die from inhaling exhaust-poisoned. Additionally, every minute people spent seated in their cars increases the risk of life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and obesity. A shift to autonomous cars, according to Stockton, will reverse all the strides made so far in reducing air pollution and developing a sedentary lifestyle culture. Stockman suggests that autonomous cars will reduce road accidents and congestion, thereby motiving people to spend even more time in their cars. Good practices such as walking and biking will diminish significantly as a result of autonomous vehicles, and this will exacerbate public health problems. Stockton’s arguments are useful because they offer a detailed analysis of why public health leaders should be concerned about the adoption of autonomous cars.

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). Self-Driving Cars Explained: How do self-driving cars work—and what do they mean for the future? https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/self-driving-cars-101

The author is concerned that autonomous cars could increase the total number of millage travelled by vehicles because they are very versatile and convenient. Unless these cars use other sources of power besides gasoline, their adoption could increase air pollution significantly. Air pollution causes tens of health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and adverse pregnancy. Electrification of autonomous vehicles may solve the problem and even result in significant reductions of emissions. Another concern shared by the author is cybersecurity. One aspect of autonomous cars is that they are prone to hacking. If hacking occurs, autonomous cars could create another level of public health and safety problems altogether. The article is useful in explaining the various levels of autonomous cars and how they work. It will help raise crucial questions about the safety of autonomous cars.