10 Things Driverless Cars Could Have an Effect On
The driverless car is no longer a thing of science fiction. The technology exists now. While there are a few hurdles to overcome in regards to making the driverless car perfect, it won’t be too long until this amazing technology is adapted to everyday life on a wide scale. When that happens, we may see a revolution in regards to how people and things travel from place to place. Below are ten things the driverless car could change.
- The Mortality Rate
Over a million people die in auto accidents each year. However, with driverless cars, that will become a thing of the past. Most accidents are caused by things like speeding, reckless driving, distracted driving, human error and drinking. However, all of those issues will be avoided if computers are the ones in control.
- Who Can Drive
Today, to operate a car, you need to pass a driver’s test. Of course defensive driving courses never hurt, but driver’s tests may become obsolete with driverless cars. We may see a day when children and the legally blind are able to travel freely without anyone else in the car. In the case of children, the destination could be preprogrammed by adults.
- Moving
In the future, the process of moving to a new place could become a lot easier and less frustrating than it is now. A family moving from New Jersey to New York, for example, may be able to rent a truck from a New York moving company that drives itself to their old house, drives the family and their possessions to their new home in New York and then drives itself back to the moving company on its own after it’s done. No driver needed.
- Car Insurance
In the future, car insurance will be far less expensive than it is now. The reason car insurance premiums are so high is because the risk of auto accidents is also high. In the future, car insurance may only be used to pay for routine maintenance and be far cheaper as a result.
- The Drinking Age
One of the main rationales of the drinking age being 21 instead of 18 is that teen drivers are less experienced and more prone to driving while drunk than older people. However, that risk will likely be removed by driverless cars. There may soon be parity between the legal smoking and drinking ages.
- The Legal Landscape
As less auto accidents occur, there will similarly be a steep drop off in lawsuits to obtain compensation for crash related injuries. Any lawsuits that do occur, however, will be directed at auto manufacturers. The passengers will have no culpability or legal responsibility.
- The Taxi Industry and Public Transportation
Taxis may still exist in the future. In fact, there may be even more of them than there are now. However, the position of taxi driver will obviously become a thing of the past. A passenger in a taxi may simply speak to a computer to request a destination. There will be no need for bus drivers either.
- Privacy Concerns
Not all changes may be positive however. If driverless cars are powered by GPS, servers in some far away location may constantly track your movements every time you get in a car. Some legal changes might need to be made to maintain a traveler’s privacy. Otherwise, that kind of information is likely to be stored indefinitely.
- Law Enforcement
If GPS data is recorded with disregard for privacy concerns, law enforcement will take full advantage of the situation. That would mean being able to look up GPS data to determine the complete path of a person’s vehicle to investigate a crime. There would be less opportunity for people to get away with most kinds of criminal acts. Criminals would have to find ways to commit crimes without the use of cars.
- The Radio
The radio business will also take a hit. Drivers will no longer need to passively listen to their entertainment in the car. They could watch TV, surf the web, play video games, finish homework and more. There will also be no need for drivers to listen to the radio to get updates on road conditions. The car will automatically take the best route available.
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