What would you do in an autonomous vehicle?
With self-driving vehicles fast approaching, have you thought about what you are most likely to do with all that extra time?
Research conducted by Ford in Europe has revealed how people would spend their time while in autonomous vehicles, with most saying they’d do nothing but enjoy the view.
“People are really beginning to think about exactly what autonomous vehicles could mean to their day-to-day lives,” said the manager of Automated Driving, Ford of Europe, Thomas Lukaszewicz.
The Ford-commissioned survey asked 5 000 adults what they are likely to do and 80% said they’d relax and enjoy the scenery. 72% would be on their phone and 64% would have a bite to eat. Reading and watching movies were close behind.
A surprising 16% of mothers noted they would let their children travel to school on their own, which could spell the end of the “school-run-mum”.
“Many of us neglect time for ourselves and our loved ones in the face of other demands. Self-driving will revolutionise the way we live, as well as the way we travel,” said Lukaszewicz.
European drivers, on average, spend up to ten days each year in their cars. Another survey showed people in major cities find their commuting to work more stressful than the job itself.
Autonomous vehicles are preferred over traditional cars when it comes to going out for drinks and commuting – approximately half thought driverless vehicles would be safer.
“We have already announced plans to use an autonomous vehicle for a ride-sharing service in the US in 2021 and it is important that we extend our testing to Europe,” added Lukaszewicz.
“Rules of the road vary from country to country here, traffic signs and road layouts are different and drivers are likely to share congested roads with cyclists.”
Ford will be testing autonomous vehicles on the roads next year.