George Jetson drove his air car

The coming of Tesla Motors to Northern Nevada is all the news, but a totally different, free-market approach to transportation could make a much greater impact on our lives and environment.

In 2011, Nevada became the first state to legalize Google’s experimental driverless cars. Since then, Gov. Sandoval has been a passenger, so has a legally blind man who rode in one for some errands.

Despite serious concerns about government surveillance and personal privacy, digital technology has opened new possibilities for human flourishing. Futurists believe there will be many benefits if, by 2040, 75 percent of cars are driverless.

Studies show that 90 percent of accidents are caused by human error. If the driverless cars are proven safe—and they have already logged over 700,000 miles without causing an accident—the number of automotive deaths and injuries can be dramatically reduced. The cars use a light radar system guided by lasers and detailed digital maps to program their routes and make adjustments as they move. Most of the experimental cars have been dual use, with the option for manual driving available. Some of the latest cars being tested are completely autonomous, without a steering wheel or brake pedals.

In a world where you can summon a car to your home with your smart phone, get in and be driven to your destination where you will not have to park the car, the very concept of car ownership could become obsolete. Why keep that car in your driveway depreciating in value while at the same time incurring expensive insurance and maintenance costs?

There will be no need for laws against texting while driving. Family and friends could have more enjoyable driving/riding experiences. There are concerns about liability. Will the driverless car company assume all liability, or will the individual who programs his route be partly responsible? Many experts believe these issues can be resolved through the common law without the need for much more regulation. Some laws will need to be revisited as many of our traffic laws go back to the early 20th century.

The elderly, disabled and children will be obvious beneficiaries. So will urban planning, as there will be much less need for parking spaces, opening up new possibilities for more productive use of scarce land resources. While this will make inner cities more livable, reduced costs could also enable longer commutes to work, and a better quality of life for suburbanites. The debate over the tradeoffs between fuel economy and vehicle weight can be resolved as improved safety will allow for lighter cars, reducing pollution dramatically.

Law enforcement has expressed some concerns. If crooks are not required to drive, will they be able to more easily shoot at police? The FBI has speculated that terrorists might be able to program these cars into explosive delivery systems without the need for a suicidal driver. These are issues, but they are not deal breakers.

What to do about displaced labor? Since there will be decreasing needs for car salesmen, taxi and bus drivers, possibly truck and forklift drivers, will that mean enormous unemployment? Obviously, there are no more horse and buggy drivers except as tourist attractions. There is also no need for cleaning up fly-infested piles of horse dung on every street corner. Humans adopt to changing economic conditions readily, provided there are no artificial government imposed bottlenecks. Human needs are endless, and as lower order jobs are replaced by technology, higher order jobs can emerge to satisfy those needs. Twentieth century futurists predicted flying cars, but it seems driverless cars on Nevada’s roads by 2018 will be the reality.