How Driverless Cars might Change the Future of Mobility

Imagine this. You commute in a car that operates minus any human oversight. That’s your sneak peak into what the future transportation will look like. Though driverless cars are not at the ready currently, they will be commonplace sooner than you think. That’s because, driverless technology is the new interest zone for tech companies and car incumbents. Once the technology is mainstreamed, personal mobility will take a giant leap forward, and car ownership and e-hailing models change. As we sit on the threshold of a disruption, it’s important to know how exactly driverless cars might change the future of mobility.

Convenience:

The whole idea of going driverless is based on convenience. You travel from point A to point B without having to man the wheels, as software will do that for you. Make a conference call, catch up your favorite sitcom, indulge in a gaming session, or simply sit back and unwind with your family and friends in your very own mini leisure room. The possibilities are endless for you to work, enjoy and celebrate life on the go. Do we need to say that elderly, specially abled and reluctant drivers will benefit the most out of the new transportation technology? 

Sustainability:

The game is almost over for gas guzzling and carbon spewing cars. They are an environment hazard, and hence, counter-intuitive to a clean and healthy future. Plus, stringent sustainability legislations and escalating fossil fuel costs are forcing car makers to go electric. As governments globally incentivize adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), conventional cars are increasingly going out of favor. The driverless cars are likely to be powered by electricity. That makes them clean, safe, environmentally friendly, and in-line with our vision for a future transport system.  

Safety:

Road accidents claim over 1.2 million lives annually. Most are caused due to human error. Robot cars can bring down accidents drastically. With robots manning the cars, human error is eliminated outright. Unlike human drivers are more likely to bend the rules, these cars will be fully compliant with speed limits, and applicable driving rules. A significant reduction in accidents caused due to human error is realizable with driverless cars, as human intervention is totally eliminated. These vehicles will feature state of the art sensory technologies to identify subtle obstacles in near zero visibility and avoid them effectively.     

Traffic:

Traffic congestion is a fact of life. Long vehicular queues are a common sight that impact traffic speed, trip time and travel experience significantly. Plus, traffic jams are linked to various physical and physiological conditions, such as anxiety and depression. With robot cars, the traffic congestion and related ills will be passé. These vehicles will be communicating with everything – other cars, the road and surroundings. Hence, they’ll be well positioned to identify the least congested route and move as a unit with fellow cars for a streamlined traffic flow.