Will you soon no longer need a driver's license to drive a car?

It was recently announced that self-driving cars will soon be allowed on the road without a driver. At the moment, it is still mandatory that someone has their hands on the steering wheel. So don't be surprised if you soon see a car driving by without someone in the driver's seat.

In the United States, a man died last year when he crashed his (partly) self-driving Tesla Model S, which was on autopilot. There was also a fatal accident with a Tesla in the Netherlands recently, but that was – according to the manufacturer at least – due to the driver himself, who was driving much too fast. In this case, the autopilot was off.

Experimental

It will take some time before there are more cars driving around without than with a driver, because the fully self-driving car is still experimental. For example, at the beginning of this year, although still with someone behind the wheel, about fifty self-driving cars drove on the A2 from Amsterdam to Beesd and back. 'Just' among the other traffic. And that went fine. A test in Friesland with a self-driving bus was less successful and forced several cyclists onto the verge.

No longer need a driver's license?

The technology that enables cars to drive themselves is becoming increasingly intelligent. What does this mean for the future?
Will you no longer need a driver's license to 'drive' a car? Not even a copies or scans of the driver's license need more when you go for a test drive or want to rent a car?
Does this make driving schools redundant?
Will cars soon be driving end-to-end on the road like train compartments?

It probably won't be that bad. At least now you can't blindly trust the systems that let a car drive itself and you have to keep your hands on the steering wheel and your foot above the brake. The technology is in fact a stick behind the door that provides extra certainty and safety.

Fewer accidents

The self-driving car should primarily ensure greater safety and fewer accidents on the road. After all, the cause of most accidents is human error. A moment of inattention and braking too late, and 'boom'. If the self-driving car system fails, you can always intervene yourself. So you have no excuse to use the drive to work to answer your e-mails.

'Smart' technology

Self-driving cars will probably soon be able to communicate with each other, with traffic lights and with your navigation system. Think of the Internet of Things. Automatic braking, stopping for red, adjusting your route in case of traffic jams: all things that not only ensure more safety but also a smoother flow.

We can actually only think of one disadvantage that the self-driving car has. We enjoy driving ourselves so much! The government, for whom traffic fines are an important source of income, and damage insurers will probably greet the self-driving car with a little less enthusiasm …

What do you think about self-driving cars? Will they make the road safer or will they create new problems? Let us know in a comment! Would you rather have a 'normal' car? rent a car in Limburg? That's possible at Adrem!