I CAN’T WAIT FOR AUTONOMOUS CARS

Driving around Portland recently, I’ve decided that a world of autonomous cars would be terrific. I am so sick and tired of rude, crazy, lousy drivers making life dangerous for everyone else. Like the other day, when some driver didn’t like the fact that I was driving 25 mph in a 25 mph zone on a busy commercial street, and had to zoom around me, then around a bus, then around another car; and all to wait at the next stop light with me. This happens every day, and it’s getting worse.

Imagine a world with only autonomous, or self-driving cars. These vehickles would always follow the rules of the road - always. They would never exceed the speed limit. They would always stop for pedestrians wanting to cross the street at an intersection  (the law in Oregon), or that the reason another car is stopped is because there is something to stop about. They would not race yellow lights, make rolling stops through stop signs, tailgate other cars. 

Yes, I know some of you are thinking “oh yeah, what about all the accidents because there won’t be a driver?” Sorry to burst your bubble, but sure, there will be some accidents, but absolutely not nearly as many as there are now with cars being driven by rude, rushed, distracted and, frankly, dangerous driving systems - humans! 

Life will slow down a bit for everyone. You won’t be able to be in a hurry; you will get there as traffic and the rules of the road allow. Maybe we’ll all mellow out a bit. Maybe there will be no more road rage.

And we won’t need personal automobiles anymore; why would we? Today’s Uber and Lyft will be tomorrow’s fleets of autonomous cars for hire, or some similar scenario. “But won’t that cost more?” you ask. Well, what is the true cost of owning an automobile, including maintenance, fuel, insurance, parking? How does that compare with paying a fee for using a fleet of autonomous cars that are always driving around waiting to be hailed?  And if we all don’t have one or more cars, that means very few parking lots and structures, no cars parked along every street, much less noise and pollution. And if every autonomous vehicle is electric, think about the lessened impact on the atmosphere, public health, and the tremendous reduction in the need for petroleum. 

Sounds too good to be feasible, right? Sounds like a world controlled by robot masters. What about all the lost jobs associated with the automobile? Pooh - think big. Use your imagination. Unshackle your mind from the petroleum economy invented by a handful of major industries and be futuristic. This isn’t science fiction any longer, it is a looming reality. 

And I can’t wait! 

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