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Just ten years ago, imagining a car that would not only have no driver, but even no steering wheel, seemed like something from the world of science fiction, as distant and naive as talk of flying taxis or interplanetary travel. Today, we look at it differently. Because in some countries around the world, cars are already driving on the streets not for testing, not to demonstrate technologies at an exhibition, but to perform the most ordinary task - to take a person from point A to point B, without resorting to the help of a driver at all. And these are not abstract words. In some cities, such cars really drive, and there are no longer any disputes about whether such technology is possible. The question is now different. Who will be the first to make it widespread? Who will launch unmanned transport into widespread use and get a share of the new market, where the main things are speed, stability, safety and the absence of the human factor?
Unmanned taxis are already running in Los Angeles, and a passenger, getting into such a car, no longer sees the usual dashboard, there is no steering wheel, no pedals. All that remains for a person is to choose a route and trust the system. In China, the situation is even more interesting. In Beijing, dozens of driverless cars ply through busy areas without causing any surprise or fear among passers-by. They have become part of the urban landscape, as familiar as a traffic light or a CCTV camera. Germany has taken a step in a different direction, but no less important: it has officially permitted the use of fully autonomous cars on autobahns, subject to a number of technical and legal conditions. That is, we are no longer talking about private experiments or tests in closed zones. These are real roads on which real cars drive without a driver. This is the beginning of a new phase, and no one will go back.
Those who are developing and implementing these technologies today no longer waste time proving the possibility. They are working on how to scale the solution faster. How to ensure its sustainability in a variety of conditions. How to cope with weather factors, bad roads, an aggressive or chaotic environment. Somewhere, this has almost been achieved. Somewhere not yet. But the general direction is obvious - speed has replaced caution, and the "let's try" strategy has turned into "let's do it." And now no one cares whether there will be a mass transition to driverless cars. The entire discussion has come down to timing. A year, two, three - it doesn't matter. It will happen. At the same time, the difficulties that developers face are not so much technical as social and legal in nature. In countries with unstable infrastructure, poor road surfaces and a lack of clear markings, driverless cars simply cannot cope. A car cannot adapt to an unexpected pothole, to a person running across the road outside the crossing, to something that does not lend itself to algorithms. In the US, the issue of data protection is acute, because each such car is a set of sensors, cameras, microphones and detectors that record everything that happens around. Who will own this data? Who will be able to access it? How can privacy be ensured if the car sees literally everything? In Europe, the legal system cannot quickly adapt to the new world. In the event of an accident involving a driverless car, a chain of questions arises: who is to blame - the manufacturer, the software developer, the one who pressed the start button? And how to evaluate the car's actions if it did not make a decision, but simply followed the instructions?
But despite all these barriers, investments continue to flow. Huge companies are investing billions in the development and implementation of autonomous transport. Taxi companies want to get rid of drivers because this reduces costs and eliminates the human factor. Freight transport becomes more efficient if a car can move for 20 hours a day without getting tired and without the need to stop for sleep. Car manufacturers no longer hide the fact that they are betting on artificial intelligence as the main element of the future of transport. This is no longer just a technical feature. It is a marketing trump card, an argument for the premium segment, a tool for fighting for a new consumer.
And here it becomes clear that what is happening will change not only business, but also the driving culture itself. We can already say that the professions of taxi driver, courier or truck driver are beginning to transform. In 2026, according to the most cautious forecasts, zones will appear in the USA and China in which completely unmanned taxis will operate without restrictions. This means that a person will no longer need to get a driver's license, take courses or even think about buying a car. It will be enough to have access to the application and a subscription. And that's it. The car will come itself. Take you there. Drive away. Without unnecessary conversations. Without fatigue. Without conflicts.
Along with this, the very understanding of a car as personal property will disappear. A car will cease to be a symbol of freedom, prestige, an extension of character. It will becomes a service. A service. A tool to which there is no emotional attachment. But with the disappearance of the steering wheel, we may lose not only the process of driving, but also that part of ourselves that loved the road not for the destination, but for the journey itself.