Self-driving cars have the potential to make your morning commute a whole lot more enjoyable, but in the wrong hands, they may be used as "lethal weapons," according to a newly released FBI report.
The unclassified but restricted report, obtained by The Guardian through a public records request, notes that driverless cars could potentially allow criminals to "conduct tasks that require use of both hands," like shooting at pursuers while the vehicle drives itself away from a crime scene.
"Autonomy … will make mobility more efficient, but will also open up greater possibilities for dual-use applications and ways for a car to be more of a potential lethal weapon that it is today," the FBI warned, according to The Guardian.
A number of major car makers have autonomous vehicles in the works, including Audi, Nissan, Mercedes, and Toyota. The FBI believes that autonomous cars could be approved by Congress for use in the U.S. within five to seven years, the report notes.
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn this week said his company is aiming to introduce vehicles that can park themselves and give you a break in traffic by 2016. Meanwhile, Google in May showed off a self-driving car prototype (pictured above) that does not have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal.
Those developing self-driving cars maintain that they will actually enhance road safety and driving conditions. The FBI doesn't disagree. Despite the potential for misuse by bad actors, the agency also predicted that fully autonomous vehicles will actually reduce the number of accidents.
"The risk that distraction or poor judgment leading to collision that stems from manual operation would be substantially reduced," the FBI said. The agency added that self-driving cars could have other benefits, like helping police chase down criminals.
"Surveillance will be made more effective and easier, with less of a chance that a patrol car will lose sight of a target vehicle," the report says.
For more, check out PCMag's test drive in Volvo's self-driving car. Also see Are You Ready to Give Your Keys to a Self-Driving Car?