[Auto / Moto] The autonomous car could encourage drinking more

[#Hassan.]

According to a study conducted in Australia, the autonomous car could lead to an increased practice of binge-drinking.

This is a rather unusual consequence of the development of the autonomous car , which few researchers had yet thought of: alcohol consumption. And for good reason, a study conducted by Australian scientists reveals that the emergence of driverless vehicles could encourage motorists to drink more than usual, or even to indulge in binge-drinking.. As a reminder, this is a practice which consists in consuming as much alcohol as possible in a short period of time, in order to feel the effects of drunkenness more quickly. To arrive at these results, the researchers in charge of the study questioned 1,334 Australians of driving license age, and the finding is clear: 37% said they would drink more if they didn't. did not need to drive their car.

According to the survey, which then consisted of a series of questions, 49% of respondents admitted that they would be ready to use an autonomous car after drinking a lot. The author of this study, researcher Leon Booth indeed pointed out that "  more than a third [of the participants] would tend to drink more if they had planned to use an autonomous car to return home  ". Not too surprisingly, it is the younger participants, as well as those already more likely to drink, who could increase their consumption even more if they did not have to drive themselves. A situation which is not new and which is already being felt with the use of VTC services, which prevent overly alcoholic revelers from hitting the road again, which is nevertheless rather positive.

A real challenge

As underlined by the co-author of this study, Professor Simone Pettigrew, “  the main challenge will be to encourage the use of autonomous cars without, however, encouraging motorists to drink more  ”. A sizeable challenge therefore, while the researchers assert that driverless vehicles will still coexist for a long time with traditional cars “  ideally, during this transition period, drivers will rather choose self-driving cars after drinking in order to reduce fuel consumption. risk of accidents  ”. According to the team of researchers, these vehicles would cost less to operate than traditional taxis for each trip and would be more efficient in the fight against accidents related todrunk driving