How many drivers will there be on the road in 2050?

You’ve probably already heard a bit about self-driving cars. Now, what would you say to someone who told you every car will be self-driving in a few short decades?

While the future has fascinated our imaginations forever, a lot of what we see as the distant future is already happening. Since the industrial revolution, humanity has been breaking record after record, and we are beating records right now. In 2010, the world’s billionth car pulled out of a dealership and into circulation. In just over a decade, that figure is expected to double.

It’s not just the number of vehicles that is changing, it’s also the nature of vehicles and the way we interact with them that will transform. The first thing that will happen is you will see more electric cars, and less of the more polluting ones. We can expect lower carbon emissions, while reducing the number of accidents. The ride-sharing industry is already booming, but the future is expected to see a ubiquitous ride-sharing industry everywhere you go. We are already moving in a direction that sees transportation as more of a personalized service. Lastly, while it may still sound like science fiction to many, by 2050 many of the cars you see on the road will be self driving. The only question at this point is: how many drivers will there be in 2050?