We are an Acura family, having owned six over the years. This past week I was at the Acura dealership to have one of our cars serviced (airbag) and happened to ask the salesman who we work with, "When will Acura have a self-driving car for sale?" He was quick to respond that the projection is that one model (RLX) will be offered in 2020.
With 2017 models showing up in showrooms now, that means just over three years, which is like tomorrow! I've also noticed other car manufacturers starting to lay the groundwork, with ads that allude to the future of self-driving cars.
I share the above because as I've written before that this new technology will be disruptive not only for services like taxis, but also for us emergency planners. Unknown consequences are coming soon!
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
