Whether you approve of it or not, there’s no stopping auto manufacturers from creating self-driving cars. On the bright side, these self-driving cars can offer several benefits to commuters. As consultants at McKinsey & Co. put it, autonomous vehicles could reshape our lives.
Self-driving cars allow you to relax
If you’re commuting 120 minutes a day, for example, then that could mean you’d get back 120 minutes for yourself every day. You could just relax while the car drove you to your destination. Self-driving cars are still in the testing stages, but come 2040, autonomous cars are predicted to be mass produced. So, most of us will have to wait a few decades. However, if you want to test drive a self-driving car, then 2025-2030 is the time span to watch out for.
Related: Ready Or Not: The Future of Self-Driving Cars and Inevitable Roadblocks
Drop off and self-parking features
Apart from giving you more time to relax, self-driving cars are also capable of dropping off passengers and parking themselves. This would allow more cars to fit in a parking lot because the space between cars wouldn’t need to be as wide. Why, you ask? That’s due to the fact that no one would need to open their door to get in and out of their car. This is also convenient if you’re in a hurry. If you’ve ever ran late for an event, like a meeting, because you were trying to find a parking spot, worry no more. Your self-driving car would drop you off and find a parking spot for you.
Will self-driving cars reduce the chances for accidents?
Since these cars operate themselves, human driver error is reduced. Accidents would be reduced and property savings would increase. Every year, over 33,000 people are killed in crashes across United States roads. About 40% can be attributed to human behavior behind the wheel, like distractions (cell phone, GPS or other people), alcohol or fatigue. With self-driving cars, drivers are able to take their hands off the wheel and all these factors can be eliminated.
Related: Would You Ride In A Driverless Car?
Trusting self-driving cars
Once car manufacturers prove that autonomous cars are safer to share the roads with than man driven cars, chances are, more people will try them. It’s always hard to try something new, especially when you are letting a car drive you around. This is understandable. That’s probably how a lot of people felt about the first car ever released to the public. However, once people saw how much faster it was to travel with the first cars; they were more encouraged to drive them. It’ll be interesting to see how self-driving cars do in the future.
As a Kentucky Accident Attorney, I am thrilled to see how these future cars could help improve road safety and save lives. How about you? Do you think self-driving cars are going to be helpful? Will they only cause more problems for everyone? Let us know what you think.