There's been a lot of news lately talking about new cars that will drive themselves. Google, Mercedes, and others have been working on them and really, we should probably look to see something hit the roads in the next 10 years.The benefits of these cars are easy to see. You'll be able to read on your ride to work. The car lay out might change so that everyone faces each other. Heck, you'll be able to text while driving again!
But my mind has been wandering and I've been thinking, what are some of the less obvious ways things will change with driverless cars? Below are my thoughts.
1. If no one is driving then why will we need road signs, signals, or other signs along the roads? Stop lights, stop signs, no parking signs, and all the rest will no longer be necessary. The side benefit of this will be less visual clutter as well. Will bill boards even be good advertising tools if no one is looking?
2. Once your car gets you to work why does it have to sit in the parking lot and wait for you? Why can't it run a few errands for you? It could go get its oil changed, get a fill up on gas (electric!), and get washed. Also, it could drive home and take the spouse to work. Or it could go pick up the kids from school.
Further, if you could order your groceries online, then your car could go and pick them up before it comes and gets you from work. Even better, have it pick them up before it gets the kids and have them take the groceries in the house!
3. Who needs a driver's license? If the car is driving itself, you wouldn't need to know how to drive. Now, there might be some places where a driver is needed, but maybe to actually control the car you'll need a license, but if you're going to an urban, civilized, place, no license is needed.
This is too bad for those 16 year olds waiting to get their licenses. . .
4. Perhaps you won't even need to own the car. All you'll need the car to do is pick you up and take you to work. So maybe instead you'll pay a monthly fee to a car service that guarantees to get you to and from work. Said company would simply have a fleet of cars that it keeps that service its customers, kind of like a taxi service.
5. How much of the way roads are laid out is with the driver in mind? The way they're curved, intersections, merging, and more. With cars that drive themselves how much more efficiently could they be made? Would the lanes need to be so wide? Computer controlled cars would need less room for errors.
Personally, I'm really excited about this innovation. No doubt there are some negatives as well but that's not the point of this article. It's to get excited about the FUTURE!
Steve
