Will Self-Driving Cars Eliminate Distracted Driving? Most People Think So, Says New National Survey

According to a new National Survey, self-driving cars will cut distracted driving. Although we may be years away from the normalization of self-driving cars, that did not stop people from thinking of what they will do behind a self-driving car's wheel.

1) Nap

One of the favorite pastimes in a self-driving car could be sleeping. Around half of the licensed drivers say that this is the huge advantage for self-driving cars. It is priceless for drivers to have the ability to sleep for long distances without worrying. Studies show that a fifth of the licensed drivers want to sleep or nap once they have a self-driving vehicle.

Here are the other survey responses on how people will spend their extra time:

Checking and sending emails (34 percent)

Texting (34 percent)

Reading (27 percent)

Playing video games (11 percent)

Meditating (10 percent)

Only a small percentage want to use the extra time to get cozy. Another small percentage will use that time for romantic activities. It is likely for men to do this compared to women.

One driver, however, admitted that he would feel nervous.

Slow Your Roll

We may daydream about this for now but autonomous vehicles can be well on their way to becoming a reality.

As of the moment, there are severe consequences with distracted driving. The police data found that daydreaming is a fatal distracted driving behavior. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some people do this behind the wheel. Human error is a factor in almost all car crashes.

People may believe that autonomous vehicles can reduce that number but it's hard to predict when they will become available. The current technology needs to undergo major advances in order to keep people safe on the road. So while we are still waiting for such innovation, the last thing that people should do is to become overly confident. Unfortunately, a lot of people are getting ahead of themselves. They are now making plans on what they will do inside the car instead of paying attention to the road.

Will Rush Hour become Happy Hour?

The use of self-driving cars may also raise some interesting questions especially about driving under the influence. It may be difficult to speculate if the current driving and drinking laws will change but a percentage of survey respondents still believe that they will not get cited for DWI/DUI. DUI or driving under the influence may happen if they have a few drinks and operate a self-driving car.

One-third of the interviewees believe that the biggest advantage of self-driving cars is the ability to get home safe regardless if they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Twenty-one percent of the respondents, on the other hand, admit that they will drink alcoholic beverages.

Some of the responses may be in jest or taken on a lighthearted tone. But we do hope that despite the technological advances, people should remember to avoid alcohol when operating a vehicle. They should keep their hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, and mind what they are doing.

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