Is Anyone Ready for a Self-driving Car?

Ready for a Self-driving?

Evidently, according to reports, only a very few drivers are ready for a self driving car.

In a recent newscast from Automotive News, Bloomberg was cited as a source saying that one half to three quarters of all drivers do not want a self-driving car. Parts supplier Robert Bosch stated that drivers will need to be persuaded. They noted that we all have experience with computers crashing, phone apps misbehaving, and there is understandable alarm at the thought of software being in control of our cars. We’ve been saying this for a while now…

But these statements, and those of Automotive News commentator Krishnan Anantharaman, fail to truly grasp the real disconnect between drivers and technology. He stated that driver behavior says that they do want self-driving technology – on everyone else’s cars, since we all overstate our own abilities behind the wheel and yet continue to cause accidents. He’s absolutely right about this. But these folks themselves exhibit a real disconnect from drivers as well as another set of their behaviors.

The Tech We Want

In the showroom, driver’s want automatic braking. They want blind spot monitoring. They want sensors to help them park and back up cameras with collision warning, etc., etc., etc.

These shoppers simply don’t recognize that these are all technological elements that lead directly to cars driving themselves. They don’t eat, breath and sleep cars and technology – we do.

As has been the case for at least a decade, technology continues to advance faster than driver’s can assimilate. Not because they are stupid, lazy or out of touch. But simply because they have full, busy lives that leave little time to learn what auto manufacturers take for granted their customers will take the time to learn.

Once the industry grasps this, it will have a far easier time moving its customers to self-driving cars. They will be free to focus on what’s necessary in their lives and not what they are told is necessary by their car’s manufacturer.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the  use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.