Let me list a few things that I hate:
- Bad drivers (even courteous ones)
- Inconsiderate drivers
- Distracted drivers
- Bad parkers
- Inconsiderate parkers
- Traffic congestion
- Traffic noise
- Traffic pollution
- Auto loan payments
- Auto Insurance payments
- Washing my car
- People telling me to wash my car
- Un-walkable downtowns
Let me list a few things I would love to do:
- Sell my cars
- Cancel my Auto Insurance
- Convert my garage to a golf-simulator
- Bike fearlessly through a city
- Cue a machine to fetch me and deliver me to the doorstep of my destination
All in all, I cannot wait for self-driving cars and I expect this to happen much sooner than most of the people I speak to about it. I believe in 10 years, a drivers license will be a rare privilege, extended only to those who demonstrate an ability to drive as safely as a machine. Then what will the world look like?
There will be an 80 - 90% reduction in the total number of vehicles on the road and an equal reduction in the amount of space allocated to parking. Fewer autos, all in communication with one another, will flow smoothly across city grids, reducing commute times and eliminating parking hassles. Congestion, noise, and air pollution, along with accidents and injuries, will all decline; health and productivity of commuters will improve.
And with the conversion of my garage into a golf simulator, my handicap will dip into the single digits.
