Read the full article here.

Written for Forbes by Jay McGregor.

We need smart guns

Yes, we do. Smart guns are inevitable. The constant forward charge of technology is unstoppable. The technology will get better, President Obama has – since the start of his second term – been working on technological solutions to gun violence. Indeed, Mcnamara told me that he’s been advising the Whitehouse on how technology can reduce gun violence, and that Homeland Security is using his Triggersmart patent – alongside others – as the basis for guideline specifications before a big procurement order sometime in the near future.

But, more importantly, as I demonstrated above. Smart guns aren’t going to stop tens or hundreds of extremely rare deaths. They can stop unnecessary deaths – and thousands of more non-fatal injuries – that are caused by suicide (teenagers too young to buy guns) and homicides with stolen or lost guns. A significant dent – in the double digit percentile – can be made into overall firearms death numbers. That’s reason enough to take this technology very seriously. Not through a dictat, but on the open market where people can decide how safe they want their weapons to be.  If they become popular, then smart guns could be America’s savior.

Jay McGregor is a journalist who writes for The Guardian, Forbes, TechRadar and is a correspondent for BBC’s James Hazel show. Follow his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JayMcGregorWrites/