10 surprising ways driverless cars will change the world

With driverless cars set to arrive on UK roads as soon as 2021, the way we travel will change forever.

Autonomous cars could well make our roads safer, give us more free time and make our journeys faster, but what are the less predictable consequences of driverless cars?

Select Car Leasing reckons it’s discovered 10 surprising ways that driverless cars will change the world…

1. The NHS will save around £450 million each year – every year, injuries from car accidents cost the NHS around £500 million. By 2030, car accidents will have been cut by 90% due to driverless cars
2. There will be an organ shortage – in the U.S. one in five of all organ donations come from traffic accidents according to the US department of health and human services
3. Alcohol consumption will rise – experts predict that driverless cars will create an increase in value for the alcohol industry by £50bn as driving and drinking times overlap
4. Road rage will no longer exist – in 2017, 80% of Brits suffered from road rage. This reduction of road rage could save lives. Recent data shows that 66% of traffic fatalities can be linked to aggressive driving of some kind, which can be one of the effects of road rage
5. Millions will lose their jobs – in the US alone, low-end estimates predict that 1.7m truck drivers could be replaced by their self-driving counterparts, eventually rising to 3m
6. Underage ‘driving’ could be legal – a study revealed that 38% of the public would be happy for their child to ride a driverless car alone
7. Car parks will be obsolete – driverless cars will be able to make their own way home, meaning the £8bn British motorists spend every year on parking will significantly decrease
8. You probably won’t own your car – a recent study revealed that consumer demand for new vehicles will drop by a huge 80% by 2030, as drivers move towards a subscription-based model
9. Radio could be made redundant – with the introduction of driverless cars, people may spend their journey watching shows or working, for example
10. Your car might take you hostage – according to one of the world’s leading reinsurers, 55% of corporate risk managers believe cybersecurity is the biggest concern for driverless cars.