May 31, 2021 – Memorial Day | National Autonomous Vehicle Day

Did You Know That By 2040 About One Quarter Of All Cars Will Be Autonomous?

Welcome to May 31st, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we honor those who have preserved our freedoms of life, liberty and the open road. 

Memorial Day honors the men and women who have died during military conflict and has been kept in the United States in various forms since the end of the Civil War.  It was first observed on May 30, 1868 as Decoration Day with volunteers decorating the graves of some 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried at Arlington National Cemetery.  Across the country, humble tributes were paid and a laurel wreath was placed upon the head of a Lincoln statue at City Hall in Washington D.C.  Today we pay tribute to those whose sacrifice affords us our freedom and we mark the beginning of Summer with our own celebration of life.

Autonomous vehicles such as self-driving cars and unmanned aerial vehicles, may seem like something out of a science fiction movie, but the future is closer than you think! Cars that take us from point A to point B without having to touch the wheel are already a reality in some states. Pilot programs around the country test a variety of formats.  According to the Brookings Institution, one quarter of all cars will be autonomous by 2040, and while that figure may scare you, consider this.  Autonomous features such alerts that let you know you are too close to the car in front of you and cars that drive themselves once the anti lock brakes kick in are probably already installed in the car you drive today.  On National Autonomous Vehicle Day, celebrate the future of safety and a ride you will likely enjoy. 

I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.