What is the importance of self driving cars?

Fully automated Self Drive Vehicles (“faSDVs”) are one of just a few known things that will visibly change the look and feel of this century in simple and profound ways (when they become dominant around mid century or earlier). My comments are directed at USA life but apply to most first and second world countries.
Today we tolerate 30,000+ deaths, hundreds of thousands of injuries and tens of billions in property damage each year in the USA because the value of individual transport is so high. faSDVs let us keep the value while eliminating 80% to 98% of the costs in death, injury, and damage.
Tens of millions spend hundreds of hours per year commuting. At best unproductive, often stressful. The faSDV turns this time into productive work time or leisure time. This time reallocation has huge societal and personal value. Ditto for those that travel during the work day (like repair and service people).
The faSDV technology will eliminate millions of jobs in trucking, taxi driving and warehouse operations (a warehouse robot is just another faSDV). This will bring real savings and convenience to business and consumers. Including some ways we don’t even consider today. And huge social unrest when millions of workers have no semi skilled job to fall back to.
About a third of commercial spaces will be emptied (or more).
Residential area will become more suburban but different as spaces are configured without garages and parking….likely prettier and more functional. Life styles will change when the elderly can stay even though they can no longer safely drive. Parents will love sending the kids to after school activities in an faSDV (no more carpool driving).
Businesses will change. As people sleep in their moving faSDV on the way to the beach/city/mountain/lake/amusement park/etc there will be less use of roadside food and lodging. As more fast/quick serve/restaurant food is delivered by faSDVs, many of these places will go out of business or consolidate into larger facilities designed for delivery by faSDV.
For many living costs will be reduced by switching from a personally owned auto to renting rides in an faSDV. Many more will move from 2/3 vehicles to 1 with rental faSDV rides making up the difference.
People will make fewer trips for goods and services…the faSDV will bring these to them. The rhythms of commerce will change as deliveries move to consumer friendly times and almost everything is available for home delivery.
The impacts of faSDVs are MUCH wider than what has been described above. But the above should be able to give you a feel that there will be big changes. You can read more of my thoughts on this in these similar answers:
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This post originally appeared on Quora.com on October 14, 2016:
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-importance-of-self-driving-cars/answer/Bob-Reisner

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