For most of us, the commute back and forth to work or school has been one of those evils that is just necessary. Whether it has called for sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, fending off road rage, or attempting to multitask without causing an accident, driving to work or school has just never been fun. But now imagine instead, your car drove you, you sipped on your coffee, answered your email, and could even nap while doing its job without human interference. That is the future promised to us by autonomous vehicles, and these happen not to be as far-flying as you may think they are.
Let’s get in-depth on how the self-driving car will bring an entire revolution to commuters.
It also made me remember one morning a few years ago when I had to spend two hours on a highway because further ahead was an accident. It got my coffee cold, my playlist finished, and I was late for my important meeting. Sucked. Imagine sitting in an autonomous vehicle. You are not holding onto the steering wheel but catching up on your favorite show or finishing off that presentation you have been procrastinating on for a while.
Commuting just becomes stress-free as autonomous cars take over the most painful part of driving. Equipped with advanced sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence, these cars navigate through traffic while following speed limits and avoiding accidents.
Increased Productivity
How many times have you wished there were more hours in the day? Your daily commute in an AV would turn into productive hours. Want to send and respond to emails, get ready for an upcoming meeting, or read your book? Be my guest. Inside a driverless car, the hours you spend on the road won’t be ‘wasted’ anymore.
Safety First
Safety is one of the major advantages when it comes to autonomous vehicles. According to estimations by the World Health Organization, every year 1.3 million people die due to accidents on the road, and in the U.S., 94 percent of crashes are due to human error. In that respect, AVs have been designed with this particular risk in mind. They will not fall asleep, get distracted, or become impaired, and are programmed to follow the rules of traffic perfectly. This may save thousands of lives and ensure that roads are safer for everybody.
Greener
Self-driving cars could also be good for the environment. Many AVs use electric powertrains and are designed to minimize emission levels. Besides, vehicles could communicate with each other and optimize the flow of traffic, which reduces congestion and fuel consumption. Think of no more stop-and-go traffic but smooth, efficient travel.
Cost Savings
They would be very expensive at first, but perhaps it could come down over time to make it an economical commute. Already Uber and Lyft are well into researching and testing self-driving fleets, which would dramatically lower the cost of transport. No more maintenance or gas or parking fees, just your driver with no high prices to fork out.
Inclusion and Accessibility
Perhaps the coolest thing about self-driving cars, though, is how they’re going to create a new sense of mobile freedom for people who either have disabilities or are too old to drive. Imagine being able to travel independently despite a visual impairment or an old people grandparent who can go visit their family without imposing on others. AVs represent a kind of freedom or inclusiveness that the existing vehicles cannot compete with.
Challenges to Overcome
Of course, this won’t happen in a wink of an eye. Besides, there are still other hurdles that come along the way, which include legal regulations, concerns about cybersecurity, and road infrastructure improvements, among others. Added to this is the general unease many people have with trusting technology to take control of the wheel. However, when these are resolved, the benefits to be derived from autonomous vehicles will far outstrip the challenges.
What The Future Looks Like
Imagine this: It’s 2035. You wake up, get your bag, and get into your autonomous car. The seats are comfortable, there is a little desk where you can place your laptop, and soft music plays in the background. You tell it where you’re going, and voilà. You review documents for the next 30 minutes, sip your coffee, and enjoy the scenery. You arrive calm, refreshed, and ready for the day. That’s the future toward which we are working our way.
In conclusion, of course, the autonomous car can revolutionize our lives in more ways than we’ve just begun to see—from reducing stress while boosting productivity to improvement in safety and accessibility. Even with many hurdles to jump, surely commutes in the future remain one heck of an exciting aspect. So, the next time you’re stuck in traffic, just remember that one day you may actually laugh when talking about the unbalanced stuff we used to drive ourselves.
