By 2040, up to 75% of cars could be self-driven

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By 2040, up to 75% of cars could be self-driven

With Nevada already having approved self-driving cars and Florida possibly on the verge of doing so, how long will it be before self-driving cars are going to be a retail option? Not all that long. According to predictions made by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), as much as 75% of road traffic will be autonomous, self-driving vehicles by 2040.

IEEE also predicts that the biggest barrier to pervasive adoption of driverless cars may have nothing to do with technology, but will be general public acceptance. While the average driver may grasp the basic benefits of autonomous cars — increased fuel efficiency and safety, along with a reduction in traffic — it may not be enough to get them to let go of the steering wheel. Jeffrey Miller, IEEE member and associate professor of computer systems engineering at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, believes that baby steps in the form of driver assist systems may help. “As more vehicular controls begin being automated, such as parallel parking and automatic braking, people will become more accepting of autonomous technologies,” Miller told Wired. “So by 2040, driverless vehicles will be widely accepted and possibly be the dominant vehicles on the road.”

As long I have the option to turn it on and off, I’ll take it. Nap while I drive cross country? Sure.

Via