ABSTRACT
The driverless car is a technical possibility now and there are many developments in auto-technology that presage its imminence. Before considering the interesting possibilities raised by the driverless car it makes sense to consider what practices take place during car journeys. This chapter examines the social organisation of driving and other car-based activities by drawing on data from an ESRC-funded project studying in-car interaction called Habitable Cars'. Commercial user-testing of cars is often carried out by recording how the car is used via a number of lipstick cameras'. Driverless cars would follow rules, abide by speed limits, and stop at stop signs without growing bored, tired or resistant to doing so. Variable speeds that produce motorway stopgo blocks would be reduced if not eradicated through the remote control and standardisation of vehicle speeds. In the rich industrialised cultures learning to drive is a rite of passage that signifies maturity, citizenship and inclusion in the society.
