Manual driving will be like smoking

In a short brainstorming session about our next big thing at Goodpatch, we came up with the comparison of “driving in the future” and smoking today. Smoking was well accepted and common in the society. Look at it now. We think the same thing will happen with driving a vehicle by yourself as opposed to vehicles driving themselves. Let’s see how far we can take this.

Forbidden and insecure in many ways

In the future, many public roads will be full of self-driving Autonomous Vehicles (AV). It could be that humans will not be allowed to take actions behind the steering wheel anymore. Traffic will be less due to the efficient and seamless prediction of vehicle behaviors such as a AV on Level five. The failure rate of your future AV will be much lower than human driving — thanks to machine learning.

Allowed in specific areas

Just like with smoking lounges, in the next 20 to 50 years it could be that cars with human drivers will only be allowed to circulate in specific areas. Most people will be driving AVs, and only enthusiasts will be behind a steering wheel. Here there will be a new business field. Imagine a luxury garage as the only option to play and take action behind a steering wheel. Handling throttle and breaks in the foot space. If you are well-advanced, you can operate a clutch including gear shifts as well. Very few people will be enjoying this rare hobby.

Validation of health

Right now it’s hard to imagine, but petrol and diesel cars will disappear. The fact of blowing tons of CO2 into our environment, in cities, next to pedestrians will feel so unreal. Driving a noisy, embroidering petrol car on a daily base will be hardly accepted in the society. Perhaps only in the luxury garages. Oh and by the way, even cigarets turned into electric (e-cigarets).

The representation of an outlaw

Classic movies are showing smoking role models. The feeling of “rebellion” or “loner” is always involved. Active car drivers might be absorbing this image in the future. For sure. James Dean was combining it already in the past.

The act itself is absurd

To inhale pollution is crazy, but many people have the feeling of joy or they are simply clueless when they do it. Operating a procedure of acceleration, braking, steering and observing the surroundings at the same time is complex and can be stressful. But many people (including me) really enjoy it and consider it as a big part of driving.
AVs will be inclusive to a much broader audience, including people with disabilities, children and the elderly. Life self driving will be so easy, we will look at manual driving as ridiculous.

Is driving an addiction? Are you hinging on driving or are you ready to give off the control of your vehicle?

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