Autonomous or self-driving cars will quite literally transform our lives. Many companies are working on autonomous driving technologies and it’s only a matter of time before these cars become common. A group of researchers from Morgan Stanley is of the view that autonomous cars will provide a major boost to the alcohol industry, a boost that could be worth as much as $100 billion.
The researchers are of the view that since autonomous cars will drive themselves this will enable people who don’t drink on a night out because they are the designated driver to have at least one drink and when you multiply that with the millions of people who abstain on any given night because they have to drive, you can see how they arrive at the $100 billion figure.
There is strict legislation against operating a car while under the influence and it’s unlikely that regulators will relax the restriction even when autonomous cars hit the road. Car makers will have to make extremely capable vehicles to convince regulators to drop this restriction.
Until self-driving cars become common and restrictions against operating a car under the influence are relaxed, never forget the basics. No matter what, don’t drink and drive. It’s careless, dangerous, and has been declared illegal for a reason.