Driver-Less Cars Might Reduce Multi-Car Households
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David Paul Morris/Getty Images(ANN ARBOR, Mich.) — Even if the notion of self-driving cars terrifies you, you might be won over to the idea by something you hadn’t thought of before. And that is, these vehicles may reduce the need to own a second car, thus saving you money as well as reducing energy consumption.
According to Brandon Schoettle and Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, nearly seven in 10 U.S. households have at least two cars. However, of all households, more than 80 percent don’t have to worry about conflicting daily trips, meaning what’s really needed are just 1.2 cars.
Preposterous? Well, maybe a little. But the reason that Schoettle and Sivak crunched these numbers was to show that when driver-less cars start appearing within a decade, they could eliminate the need for multiple vehicles in a household.
The scenario the researchers imagine is that a driver-less car could bring mom or dad to work and then head home on its own where it would enable others to use it for various errands before heading back to pick up mom or dad.
Schoettle and Sivak will admit that it does seem a little far-fetched since people, being creatures of habit, may not want to share a car if they’re used to owning one. There’s also the fact that one car would mean piling on the mileage, which adds wear and tear.
However, it’s some food for thought once you get over the fear of cars minus drivers.
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