Though the technology may seem like fantasy today, Co-Founder of Google Sergey Brin recently predicted fully autonomous vehicles will be available for purchase within five years.
In addition to saving money, a commentary from NextGov.com pointed out that using autonomous vehicles would also allow for 24-hour mail and package delivery.
And further savings could be realized by the reduced cost that some purport driverless vehicles to have. A 2012 report by Google, for instance, showed that in 300,000 miles of travel in a driverless vehicle, there were no collisions, as well as a reduced amount of wear and tear on the vehicle thanks to the computer’s cautious driving.
Autonomous vehicles can also save on fuel costs by driving at optimal speeds, with a Columbia University study identifying that energy savings of 273 percent could be achieved. With the USPS posting a $1.9 billion quarterly loss in May, such a change just might do the agency some good.