The automotive industry is evolving quickly. Electric vehicles, offering a cleaner and more environmentally friendly option, and autonomous driving technology is on the rise.
But the big change is the possibility of a driverless future, where our cars will drive and be able to "see" themselves, while we can relax, watch a movie, work or sleep during roads trips.
There is a lot of uncertainty about a driverless future. Not so much how they will perform in winter conditions or against cyber attacks to their system, but uncertainty on how much they will change our lives. The current models getting physical road miles tested out on public roads have gotten better at driving in bad weather and once they get more popular, driverless vehicles will get better software protection. Here are three uncertainties on how self-driving cars might change our lives.
1. More Or Less Cars On The Roads? - When automobiles first came about, it was clear how popular they were going to be. When motorways and other roads were added across the country, people believed that this would get rid of traffic and congestion by opening up the roads more. They actually found the opposite, more room opened the door for more cars and freedom and people took advantage of that. When driverless vehicles become available, we will have many options to choose from and many self-driving cars will be on the road. People will be able to get a ride anywhere so easily, we might end up seeing a similar thing happening. Even though we will have less accidents, we might have more people on the roads.
2. Shops Might Come To Us - Imagine finding your favourite cafe on a street corner every morning in a driverless food truck? Or Supermarkets and Fast Food Chains having food for sale right outside your house? It is very possible that a driverless future won't just affect how we get around but companies and shops might take advantage of this and learn to sell their products on wheels and even by coming right to your doorstep. This will make buying everyday products easier and more affordable for everyone.
3. More Or Less Freedom? - Cars give people freedom. They allow you to take a trip anywhere you want and when you want. You can literally drive anywhere as long as it is not through large bodies of water. And a driverless future will open the door for more people, allowing pensioners and those living with a disability to get around and have that same freedom they might not have had before. But at the same time, many people worry that our trips will be monitored. So our driverless vehicles might show us Ads specifically geared toward our eating, shopping and other habits. While it will open the door for certain people to travel where ever they need to go, it may have others worried about being watched.
It is no secret that driverless vehicles will keep the roads safer. Companies have tested out their models and have gotten physical road miles tested and the results have been good, with any crashes that have happened usually due to the human in the other car.
A driverless future will change many aspects of our lives, some more likely than others. Our entertainment options will expand during our road trips, bikers and joggers will share more of the roads than before, traffic violations could be a thing of the past, petrol stations may disappear as these driverless models will all run on electric and the need for car insurance may completely disappear.
While these changes may not happen over night, all signs are beginning to point to a driverless future.