The Joy of owning a car or otherwise!
A recent speeding ticket and a scratch on my car brought a host of emotions and experiences that were definitely not nice. It made me ponder over the pain of owning and driving a car and if it could be a more joyful experience.
Penalties & fines: 👮🏻‍♀️💵 🚙
There are several traffic fines that you can expect during your car ownership span; like parking fines, speeding fines & fines for not following the driving rules that can ruin your day. In extreme cases, your vehicle can be impounded, and one may end up paying a lot just to keep the wheel moving. The agony & pain of discovering the fine lasts for days and gets further compounded on realizing there is no way out than paying fines. Given a choice, everyone would like to avoid it in the first place. Such a tool does not exist that can ensure that drivers do not break any traffic rules.
Authorities continue to improve technology to accurately identify offenders. This means that drivers have to put full focus on driving to ensure no mistakes are made. While this may ensure everyone’s safety, such focus can be cognitively draining, and the driver may feel exhausted at the end of a drive. Especially female drivers complain of high levels of focus demanded during driving which makes driving not so enjoyable. Current cars do not provide an option for users not to drive when they lack focus or want to just relax.
One would also agree that in these fast-paced times, the driver’s mind is not always clear, constantly wondering, planning, and worrying while on the road. We know today’s users have a short attention span and are readily distracted therefore prone to making mistakes. Hence our cars need to address these evolving lifestyle needs.
There are other chores associated with vehicle ownership that is not enjoyable:
Renewing registration every year: It normally takes a day and if there are technical issues it can be a prolonged affair.
Renewing insurance: Checking quotes and choosing the right policy covering your needs.
Servicing: Taking your car twice a year and paying for expected and unexpected repairs may also cause distress.
Re-fuelling at site: Planning, finding, and scheduling to re-fuel could be stressful if it is something that is not on top of your mind.
Paying tolls & parking: Topping up toll accounts & paying to park using multiple apps or manually.
If you are someone who struggles to remember dates & deadlines, expect penalties for forgetting any of the above chores.
However, all these pains will become a thing of the past as the future for car ownership looks promising. The good news is that we may not have to live with these issues in future. Driving and moving around can be a lot enjoyable with the car of the future which is Electric, Autonomous, Shared, and Connected. Several new start-ups across the globe have come up with solutions to eliminate the hassles with servicing (pick-up and drop) and refueling sites.
With a car that is autonomous, electric, and connected most of the above chores will be automated or eliminated. The car will become a digital device that makes every moment entertaining, exciting, and safe for its users just like our mobile phones. I hope this happens soon.
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Team "EV Quotient"
(EV Quotient is a platform to discuss and learn about electric vehicles. It’s an initiative by a team of experienced Automotive professionals with Global Exposure)