Let us assume a future where self-driving cars are a reality, and indeed, the vast majority of cars on the road. In such a reality, there are many interesting facets to consider, from insurance prices1 to car ownership itself2. I find the possibilities fascinating, and I’ve thought about this quite a lot.
One thing I hadn’t previously considered, however, is how self-driving cars could affect police work. From the demise of the traffic cop to a reduction in revenue to the end of pretextual stops, self-driving cars may have a dramatic impact on police work.
Footnotes:
It seems likely that driving your own car will become a very expensive proposition, because you’ll be so much more dangerous than a self-driving car. ↩︎
When cars can drive themselves, it may make far less sense to own one yourself. Instead, a much smaller fleet of vehicles could roam, just waiting to be used, like an automated Uber system. ↩︎
