Predictions For The Future Of Self-Driving Cars And Lorries

One of the biggest current set-backs for driverless vehicles is that most manufacturers can’t say with certainty that their vehicle would be immune to cyber-attacks. Though blockchain technology is most often associate with Bitcoin and crypto-currency, blockchain itself is a revolutionary new database system that when applied to a network of autonomous vehicles would make them functionally unhackable. This system will also bring a series of validations and protections that people will come to expect from the driverless cars of the future.

Contributors: Jim Milan from Auto Accessories Garage

Car ownership will plummet because for most a car is a necessity rather than something they do for pleasure. Companies like Uber are already planning to offer a driverless car experience, meaning that you can hire a car and a driver (in the form of a computer) 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, on bank holidays and more. For many this will be a tipping point to reduce the hassle and cost of owning a car.

Contributors: Nicholas Smith from CompareNewTyres

With 90% of accidents being caused by human error, we can eliminate all of that overnight. You'll still get system errors, but they'll be significantly fewer than humans make. Our streets will be safer and cleaner for us and our children.

Contributors: Nicholas Smith from CompareNewTyres

Think about convenience, you can pick up the shopping, drop off a parcel at the post office, take the dog to the vets and the kids to school, all without leaving your house.

Contributors: Nicholas Smith from CompareNewTyres

Autonomous cars will change more than just who's in control on the road. Since every car will be monitoring and communicating with every other car, traffic jams will become almost extinct. Cars will dynamically adjust their speed, no matter the reason, so they remain moving at a steady pace. If there is a disabled vehicle (for accidents, as we know them, will cease to exist), traffic will alter its speed and/or pattern to flow around it (and any other incidents) with ease. Autonomous cars will also be able to adjust and allow emergency vehicles to pass quicker and without disruption to commuter traffic.

Contributors: Chris Mindel from Dexter Edward LLC

Self-driving cars will, once other pedestrian crossing methods are developed, signal the end to traffic lights. Because cars will adjust to each other, they won't need to fully stop, as each car will space itself and navigate through opposing or cross traffic. Traffic lanes will also cease to exist; cars will simply move along roads as organically as blood through an artery. These points will save a ton of money on infrastructure spending.

These benefits will mean one thing: an almost perfect estimation of travel time, leading to more time living outside of your car.

Contributors: Chris Mindel from Dexter Edward LLC

As an associate at a personal injury firm who is responsible for managing all auto claims, I'm very curious on the impact self-driving vehicles will have on the insurance and legal industries. There will likely be many insurance and legal disputes over who the at-fault party is in the event of an accident. If a self-driving vehicle is at fault, there may be multiple claims brought against the same technology company as opposed to the actual driver of the at-fault vehicle. While this is a very concerning issue, I believe we still have around 20-30 years before self-driving cars and lorries will be fully implemented into our society.

Contributors: Cody Linn from The Potts Law Firm

The future of self-driving cars and lorries will be one of rider need-state versus simply going from Point A to Point B. As vehicles become self-driving, the configuration of the automobile can change dramatically. The seats won’t have to all face the same way, the windows won’t have to be visible all the time and the size of the vehicles can vary. This opens up a tremendous opportunity to provide transportation that fits a varied range of rider needs.

For example, a vehicle can be configured for sleeping, watching a movie, having a meeting, eating, etc. When summoning the self-driving vehicle, a selection will be need-state to ensure they receive the right experience for what they are trying to accomplish. This need state will transform the idea of ownership to subscription, where a rider can select the “experience” they are looking on a case-by-case basis, versus a specific make and model.

Contributors: Paul Miser from Chinatown Bureau