Over the past few weeks, the trade tariff war launched by the U.S. has thrown a lifeline to the driving instruction industry across Ireland. When it comes to car companies such as Tesla, many of the components used in manufacture and assembly originate in China. And with component costs skyrocketing, many aspects of car assembly have become prohibitive. So how does this impact the driving instructor industry in Ireland? Good question!
One key area of the Tesla brand is not just electric cars, but autonomous ones too. Those are cars that can drive themselves. Or those with the technology that can navigate a journey after its owner enters the details into the mapping system.
Elon Musk, the head of Tesla, bemoaned the fact tariffs would also delay the rollout of some of the car brands most ambitious projects, including cars with NO steering wheels.
The big question is what happens to the driving instruction industry in Ireland in 10 or 15 years from now? Does the rapid advancement of A.I. and driver-less technology represent a new era in personal mobility? On the face of it, it should.
It suggests our most popular mode of transport across Ireland will fundamentally change.
It is conceivable that the driving instruction industry is at the start of some really big changes too!
Cars equipped with a mapping and A.I. guidance system should, in theory remove the human side of driving. By extension, the role of driving instructors would be significantly reduced, or even made redundant.
Car insurance
Furthermore, the role of car insurance arises.
I have little doubt that car accidents will never become zero, even if autonomous, self-driving becomes the norm. But the question as to liability becomes critical. In situations where an accident does occur, where will the liability rest? With the car owner? With the technology provider? With the State authorities that provides the road infrastructure? Or the driver? Will there be some liability clauses that share some accident liability to them?
I am sure that some people are already working on the various scenarios to contemplate and underwrite the risk.
But one thing is for certain. The world of driving is about to change far more than at any point since the invention of the car.
Frank Conway is founder of MoneyWhizz
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