Are YOU Ready to Give Up the Wheel? Driverless Cars Will Hit Our Roads in 2026!

The age of autonomous vehicles is almost here – but are we truly ready to surrender control and let go of the wheel? Here’s what you need to know.

When I started out in this game, being a motoring journalist was always about one thing: driving the cars. The thrill of the exhaust note, the response at the helm, the performance, the grip, the grip of the wheel, the subtle (unspoken) communication between machine and man – that’s where the magic was. That’s what we, as automotive content creators, have always aimed to convey to you – the audience, the readers, the viewers. What makes a car good, unique, special… or even downright dreadful?

But now… it seems that very role (our very reason for existence as petrolheads?) might be under threat.

2026: The Year Autonomous Cars Hit Our Streets

By 2026, Level 3 autonomous driving will begin appearing on UK roads in a mainstream way. This isn’t speculative sci-fi anymore – this is imminent science-fact. Several major carmakers, including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Honda, Tesla, Hyundai and of course the Chinese, are preparing production-ready systems that no longer require the driver to have hands on the wheel in certain conditions.

Mercedes was the first in the world to gain UN-certified Level 3 approval for its Drive Pilot system in Germany – and now it’s received UK government approval to bring that tech to our streets. Meanwhile, Waymo and Cruise have racked up millions of driverless miles across the US, with the former now launching in parts of Los Angeles and Phoenix.

What Does This Mean for Enthusiasts?

It means the car will no longer be a tool of engagement – but a box that takes you from A to B while you read emails, watch Netflix, or… just sit there, arms crossed, wondering why you even bothered dressing like The Stig this morning.

The sensation of driving – the one we all fell in love with – becomes redundant. You’re no longer a driver. You’re a passenger in your own car.

But Are We Ready to Give It Up?

That’s the big question. Will we accept this? The jury’s out, but I think I know the answer.

According to a 2023 Thatcham Research study, 54% of UK drivers are uncomfortable with the idea of letting the car take over. Another AA survey showed that 63% of motorists don’t trust self-driving cars at all – citing concerns over safety, ethics, and the ability to react in unpredictable scenarios.

And quite frankly, I get it.

I’ve Tried the Systems – And I Hated Them

A few years ago I found myself in a concept-level autonomous vehicle at a Honda testing facility in Japan. I think it was an Accord if I remember correctly. It did its thing, it didn’t miss a beat. But then it was programmed to drive a programmed route.

I also tried the autonomous parking systems when they first came out. On a Mercedes E-Class way back in Dubai. It parked, then decided it didn’t like how it was parked, reversed out and parked itself again. It also freaked the hell out of me!

To us – the enthusiasts, the car lovers, the ones who believe in heel-and-toe, in racing to redlines, in manual shifters – this feels like a betrayal of what we love most about cars.

But Maybe I’m Coming Around to It…

The thing is… I’ve seen this coming for years.

Let’s rewind to the 1980s – to a little TV show called Knight Rider. That show captured my imagination. A car that talks, drives itself, protects you. KITT was the dream. But do you remember Michael Knight’s first reactions? Suspicion. Resistance. Even fear. He didn’t want the car to drive itself. He was an old-school analogue hero – the type who wrestled with muscle cars and lived by instinct. But KITT challenged all of that.

Eventually, Michael came to trust KITT. To rely on it. He even saw it as a friend. Their bond wasn’t just sci-fi fantasy – it was a metaphor for man learning to coexist with machine.

And in many ways, that journey mirrors ours today.

I’m not a Luddite. I’m not clinging to the past, refusing to budge. My own journey has taken me from clunky old typewriters and rolls of film to writing books on a MacBook Pro and filming on a DJI Pocket 3. I embraced digital, embraced social media, and embraced the new way of doing things. And yes, as much as I hate to admit it – many people will embrace driverless cars.

Because we can either turn on our heels and run away from new technology, or recognise that it is here, it’s real, it’s not going away – and try to understand it. Learn how it can help us. Use it wisely.

So maybe… just maybe…

There’s No Stopping It Anyway

The UK government is actively working on an Automated Vehicles Bill to legalise autonomous systems, with a roadmap aiming for testing and trials in 2026 and then widespread rollout by the end of 2027. The hope? Safer roads, reduced congestion, better mobility for the elderly and disabled, and smoother traffic flows thanks to AI-powered optimisation.

That all sounds very great – we ALL get to be Michael Knight and have our own KITT – but the unintended consequence? Millions of us will be disconnected from the driving process. And as a new generation grows into a world of autonomous cars, many will never learn to drive, never experience the joy of manhandling a machine down a challenging B-road. It’s already happening in fact.

So What Now?

Let’s be honest: the genie’s out of the lamp. It’s happening. There’s no fighting it. So the question becomes: what does the future of driving look like?

And more pressingly for me personally: what’s the future of what I do?

If the average new car becomes undrivable by design, do I still review it? Will I be evaluating AI interfaces and interior comfort instead of throttle response and chassis feel?

Maybe we pivot. Maybe the focus shifts from driving cars to living with them. Or maybe we celebrate the remaining enthusiast cars even harder. Maybe BrownCarGuy becomes the archivist of the drive itself, preserving and protecting that legacy.

Whatever comes next, we need to be part of the conversation. Because even if the car is driving itself – we still decide where it goes. For now.

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