Autonomous cars, though a long way away, are going to interact differently to their “driver” than they do now. When the age of cars with no steering wheel or pedals emerges, we’ll still need to communicate with our vehicles and with other drivers – for example, you still need to know where you’re going, if the engine needs service, etc. With the need of paying attention to the road eliminated, you’ll have more time to interact with a screen.

While that may seem unsafe, don’t worry. We’re at least two to five decades away from cars being that autonomous – but this is the direction car companies expect buyers to lean towards, so we’re seeing the early stages now.

The second reason – and probably the most prominent – is keeping cell phones out of driver’s hands. Texting and driving may be illegal in many states, including North Carolina, but there’s still a serious issue. According to DMV.org, 24% of all accidents in 2014 were caused by texting and driving.