Driverless cars, currently test-running in several cities, have elicited responses reminiscent of reactions to the advent of horseless carriages a century ago.

Public Reaction: Initial public reaction to autonomous cars mirrors historical sentiments towards early automobiles.
* Comparisons have been drawn between apprehensive TikTok users sharing their first driverless taxi experiences, and pedestrians in the 1910s yelling “Get a horse” at motorists.
* Early cars were perceived as frightening due to noise, danger and lack of features such as seatbelts.

Historical Impact: The coming of the automobile had significant societal impacts beyond convenience and novelty.
* Autos, offering freedom and independence, especially benefited classes of people, including black people and women, restricted by societal norms of the time.
* They provided increased mobility, allowing for searches for better employment and healthcare, and the ability for women to learn car repair.
* Automobiles even impacted societal norms by adding private spaces for sexual possibilities, given the size of the car’s back seat.

Current Issues: Contemporary concerns about driverless cars range from their transformational potential on family life to legal questions.
* There’s the debate about the newfound freedom for busy families, with driverless taxis chauffeuring children to play dates.
* On the other hand, there are legal questions about who’s liable in certain situations, like when a pregnant person crosses state lines in a driverless car to get an abortion or when driverless cars transport illegal drugs.

Past Lessons: Experts suggest looking back to the introduction of cars to help navigate the future of driverless vehicles.
* A hundred years ago, there were concerns about the future of certain jobs, such as for Teamsters, who were horse-drivers, similar to current concerns about the future of trucking.
* History professors suggest that now is an excellent time to learn from past mistakes, emphasizing safety over constant expansion.
* Historians recommend staying “behind the wheel” of the autonomous car transformation to ensure a safe, beneficial integration into society.

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