The driverless, or more accurately, self-driving car is widely predicted to revolutionize mobility by knocking humans out of the driver’s seat as soon as 2030. By acting as a sort of 21st-century car pooling mechanism, it has the potential to help marginalized populations get around and take large numbers of cars off the road, helping to speed up the country’s gradual move away the personal automobile. But this new technology is sure to face resistance from the traditional auto industry and other entrenched political interests. Meanwhile, matters of regulation are still up in the air. And what if the convenience of automated vehicles takes away from progress that cities have made on public transit, cycling and walking? Writer Jonathan Geeting explores what could happen when warm-blooded Americans no longer have an obligation to take the wheel.
Image: http://nextcity.org
To read the original article: It’s an Automatic – Next City
