AWESOME or AWFUL: If MOST Cars Become Autonomous By 2040, Is This The Driving Enthusiast's NIGHTMARE?

Personally, I can't think of anything worse.

Autonomous vehicles.

Sure, for some folks I seem to come across on a daily basis, it would be a great thing. Not only do they not want to drive but they aren't so good at it. But for folks like you and I, this could very well be a nightmare.

You see, for me driving is therapy. My daily slog to and from the office is a joyous occasion where I get to ramp up for a long work day and also wind down from ther previous 12 hour's intensity.

The idea of being whisked away while I could do something else is significant leap forward, especially when you consider what **may** be possible. Better efficiency, less infrastructure investments and a world where accidents may be a thing of the past.

YOUR answer really could go either way, but that leaves us wondering one thing:

Is the possibility of autonomous vehicles making up 75% of all vehicles sold by 2040 AWESOME or AWFUL?

The timeline for autonomous cars hitting the road en masse keeps getting closer. GM's Cadillac division expects to produce partially autonomous cars at a large scale by 2015, and the automaker also predicts it will have fully autonomous cars available by the end of the decade. Audi and BMW have also shown self-driving car concepts, with the former working with Stanford to pilot a modified TT up Pikes Peak. Meanwhile, Google is ripping along at its own rapid pace with a fleet of fully autonomous Toyota Prius hybrids that have logged over 300,000 miles. And the company has pushed through legislation that legalizes self-driving cars in Nevada. California is close behind, and Google has also been busy lobbying joyriding lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

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Eyecarehawaii - 9/24/2012 11:18:35 PM

+2 Boost

A similar article from the Wall Stret Journal:

Who's Behind the Wheel? Nobody.

The driverless car is coming. And we all should be glad it is..

http://www.autospies.com/news/AWESOME-or-AWFUL-If-MOST-Cars-Become-Autonomous-By-2040-Is-This-The-Driving-Enthusiast-s-NIGHTMARE-72595/

They ave been talking of this concept for many years now and it hasn't happened - yet. It's possible, however, at least in theory. Just look at cell phones and see how much it has progressed to become and integral part of life for many of us. The only question is whether we would embrace this policy if it is mandated by our government. On the positive side it would make redundant our concerns about drivers who believe they can text and drive well at the same time. On the negative it would make our choice in cars much less relevant from a driver's perspective.

vdiv - 9/25/2012 12:32:42 PM

+1 Boost

With people behind the wheel doing everything, but actually driving, already there is no one at the wheel. At least the vehicles can gain some self-preservation capabilities.

The WSJ link is:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443524904577651552635911824.html

I think the public and congested roads are already a nightmare for the enthusiast. We need more road courses and race tracks available to truly enjoy performance cars.

supermoto - 9/25/2012 6:24:32 PM

+1 Boost

I love the drivng experience.

But in California I sure wish most of the cars around me were not driven by humans. Just this morning saw a car drive a long way down a one way street, the wrong way, with tons of traffic in each lane coming at them on a collision course. WTF!

lexworld - 9/25/2012 7:57:45 PM

+1 Boost

....We'll if you have ever seen the Minority Report (Tom Cruise) you already know Toyota will most likley have the first flying cars at the rate they're going!