The truth is this. You and I will be driving our own cars for a long long time.
A good friend of mine and I have this conversation all the time. He is convinced that we are only five to ten years away from the day when people will no longer drive their own cars. I have told him over and over that I think it will be much longer than that. I love to drive. I enjoy being behind the wheel. And I do not trust a car that is doing its own thing with no human actually driving. I know the technology is impressive, but I still do not trust it when I am the one in the seat.
But here is something that caught my attention recently. There is a new bill moving through the House of Representatives called the Self Drive Act, H R 7390. It barely made it out of committee on a twelve to eleven vote. This bill is a bipartisan attempt to create a national framework for autonomous vehicles. In other words, instead of having fifty different sets of rules from fifty different states, this bill would give us one consistent rulebook from the federal government.
Here is what the Self Drive Act would do.
- It would allow manufacturers to build cars without traditional controls like steering wheels and pedals.
- It would tell the federal government to create one set of national safety standards.
- It would override the confusing patchwork of different state level regulations that is already slowing the industry down.
- Supporters say this could save a lot of lives since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 94% of crashes come from human error.
That is all interesting. But here is what I want to answer. Will the government ever force you and me into autonomous cars. Will there be a day when we cannot drive our own vehicle. My answer is simple. I seriously doubt it. Not any time soon. And probably not in our lifetime.
Here is why that will not happen.
- The technology is not ready. We do not have true go anywhere level five autonomy yet.
- Americans keep their cars forever. The average vehicle on the road today is about 13 years old. Even with big changes it would take decades for the entire fleet to turn over.
- Americans love to drive. That is not a fight any politician wants to pick at a national level.
- This bill is about regulating autonomous vehicles. It is not banning normal driving or traditional cars.
Now could we eventually see certain parts of big cities go autonomous only. Yes that is possible. Could freight trucks or taxi fleets go primarily autonomous because it saves money. Absolutely. Could there be certain zones where only autonomous vehicles are allowed during rush hour. Maybe. But a national mandate that takes away your right to drive your own car. No. Not even close.
The truth is this. You and I will be driving our own cars for a long long time. Probably for the rest of our lives. And my buddy can keep hollering about five years and ten years. But the reality does not match the prediction. Not by a long shot.
Alex Bryant is a pastor, author, and speaker who writes about race, faith, and culture in America.
