mmarshall

We've had lots of Car Chat threads on Tesla, Google, GM, Ford, and other self-driving vehicles, but, from what I can tell, very little talk or discussion on what these self-drivers will actually mean for the traditional training/licensing process for new drivers. (Or, perhaps a better term....riders, not drivers). Once again, as wth so many other things in the modern world, money enters the picture. Local and State Governments derive at least part of their income from what they charge motorists and driver-students for getting and/or renewing their drivers' licenses. It's usually not as much as what they get every year from registrations, inspections, and (in states that have them) property taxes on vehicles....but you still have to pay to first get (or renew) your license every X-number of years when the valid-term runs out.

So...with self-driving vehicles, what do you all think? Will we all be trading our Drivers' Licenses for Riders' Licenses......and still be paying the same fees? Or will the whole licensing system end up just being scrapped, and the lost revenue be made up for in other areas?

coolsaber

If your venturing into self driving, they need to make a type rating and make this an actual test and not just a formality

SW17LS

I think its WAY too early to consider any sort of change like that. We are decades away from cars that truly drive themselves in any situation.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

The self-driving car first needs a drivers license itself probably in terms of extremely rigorous IEC and ISO levels of safety. but I agree that's decades away

mmarshall

Self-driving vehicles themselves are not necessarily decades away, but, yes, it will be quite some time before they become the mainstream vehicles on the road.....if ever. Still, the question of how states and local governments are going to handle licensing procedures, IMO, will have to be addressed. As the system works now, it is partly driver-qualification, partly keeping one's nose clean during the initial probationary or graduated-step period, and, of course, partly fees and taxation.

Nospinzone

I think there will always be a need for some sort of licensing, even for riders .........

ABC

Agreed, but i expect there will be a day when people start saying, "i can't believe you still drive! it's so dangerous...". But that day is quite a bit down the proverbial road.

mmarshall

Yep, that day might come, but, until then, as someone who likes to drive, I say it's best to be like the Three Monkeys............

riredale

I think self-driving is many years away, but when it comes it will be in phases. You go on a certified road and press the button, then the car hands control back to you when you leave the road. I think future litigation will force things to be this way.

SW17LS

You'll see it come to highways first, etc. I think thats pretty close at hand, but surface, neighborhood roads, LONG way off. You also have to realize that even when cars exist that can drive themselves on the highway for instance, how long is it before even 1% of the population has a car that can do that?

We are many, many many years away from autonomous driving have any impact on licensure requirements.

mmarshall

Well, if you believe a number of people right here on Car Chat, it's not that far off at all.

riredale

Yup, but not at all representative of the population. It would be like judging support of the Green New Deal by the fervent comments on AOC's website.

SW17LS

I don't think I have read anybody on car chat say that fully autonomous cars aren't that far off.

mmarshall

A number of CL members feel that it is inevitable. How far off it is is debatable, and obviously depends on the advancement of computer-adaptation to as many different driving conditions as possible.

SW17LS

I agree its inevitable, and that cars that can drive themselves in certain situations are very close at hand, really here already but regulations wont let them do it. We are a long way off from cars that you can get in and push a button and it will take you from one location to another with no driving required by you though.

When my kids were born my wife said "they probably will never need to learn to drive a car" and I don't think thats true. When they get drivers licenses 12 years from now we will certainly have cars that can drive themselves on the highway, come and get us in a parking lot, but largely they will still be driven by people. Now, will their kids need to learn to drive? Very possibly no. But, we're talking about 40 years from now.

And like I said, the average car on the road is 11.8 years old. Its going to take a LONG time to get to a point where MOST cars on the road are self driving, even if a self driving car were to be released. This tech also comes from the top down, and it will take time for it to permeate down into price points that most people can afford. Another point to consider is way more used cars are sold every year than new cars, so that tech has to permeate down and be sold a second time to get into the hands of the masses.

The point is, its not just about an autonomous car being released, its about EVERYBODY in the population owning an autonomous car before we get to the point where you could consider making changes to drivers license laws.