Back in the 1960s GM experimented with cars that followed a magnetic strip in the highway while in 1997, 8 Buick Le Sabres travelled in line at 65mph and 21 feet apart with no driver input whatsoever. More recently, Toyota has been testing the PM concept car, which travels around in ‘social groups’ with other cars. We’re not suggesting that ‘drive by wire’ will take over completely, but you can expect the driver to be an almost redundant feature by about 2030. Benefits will include greater safety and reduced fuel consumption.