Elon Musk Worried Self-Driving Cars Will Ban Human Drivers

In the future, humans might be banned from driving their own cars in order to maintain full safety on the road. That is according to Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, who believes once the benefits of self-driving cars are apparent, governments will outlaw or bring strict requirements for those wanting to drive a car.

Regulatory offices across the world are still coming to terms with the idea that soon cars will drive themselves. Google predicts in the next five years self-driving cars will begin the standard mode of personal transport, confident that its own platform will lead the way.

Already Audi, BMW, General Motors and other automotive companies are working on systems, alongside Google, Apple and Tesla Motors, who already have advanced platforms in the works.

Tesla Motors offers its own sort-of self-driving platform, allowing drivers to press autopilot and allow the car to switch lanes, lower speeds and notice any objects in close proximity.

Even though Musk is committed to offering a driving experience to Model S and Model X customers, the truth is once the benefits of self-driving are apparent, government will look for further regulation against human drivers.

The accident level of human drivers is still quite high, even with the recent decreases due to better traffic analysis and car safety. Self-driving cars could lower the current statistic by over 90%, according to some estimates.

There is still the worry that self-driving systems cannot understand the moral issues inside a car, and thus will be incapable of making snap decisions. Google has responded to these comments claiming it has an advanced system in place for making decisions out of the ordinary daily drive.

Most governments are looking at 2017 or 2020 as the time when it will approve or set regulations for self-driving cars. By that time, the Model 3, Apple’s electric car and some of the self-driving cars from Google’s partners should be available to purchase.

Image Credit: [Reuters]