As a driver, we all seek information when we’re on the road. From the route we’re taking, to the weather forecast or even if we’ll have enough fuel to get there, many of us consider all of this information to be vital to ensure we reach our destinations simply and without unnecessary distress.

Traditionally, this is all insight we’ve had to seek out ourselves. But what if you didn’t have to anymore? What if your car did it for you? If that were the case, what information would you like your car to share? Maybe you’d want more than just simply traffic information!

Well, we asked this exact question to drivers across the UK, and they had various responses. Here’s what we found…

Some drivers would like their cars to recommend and book one of their favorite restaurants. Others have called for push notifications that would alert them of live delays on their route and for a car that would then suggest a faster alternative journey. Some even said they’d like their car to reserve a larger family parking space to ensure they’ll have enough room to pack and unpack a stroller from their car!

While this might sound a little far-fetched, with today’s technology, this is all possible.

We all have different needs on the road. And as one of the most diverse group of individuals – representing all adult age-groups and types of people – drivers all demand and enjoy different aspects of being behind the wheel.

Nuance recently launched a consumer survey with YouGov, which found that European drivers (polled in the UK and Germany) want technology in their cars to go further than it ever has done before. Today’s drivers are calling for in-car technology to:

• Act as their guide on the road
• Help them deal with car diagnostics, reported issues, and understand their car’s new features
• Proactively tell them if there is free parking at their destination
• Let them know if they don’t have enough fuel to complete their journey
• Inform them if they are likely to arrive late

Drivers also seek a more advanced method of securing access to their car, with over one in three drivers (35 % in UK, 36% in Germany) stating they would prefer a biometric solution – with either face or speaker recognition technology – to identify them, in place of our traditional car keys (just 27% in UK, 24% in Germany).

Car technology that learns and adapts for a better driving experience

This underlines a mentality shift from drivers, who are now more willing than ever to embrace technology in cars. A significant proportion (65% in UK, 53% in Germany) of drivers also said they’d like their in-car assistant to learn from them and their past behavior to deliver a better driving experience. Drivers likewise want their car to remember their preferred routes (39% in UK, 30% in Germany), while around a third (35% in UK, 30% in Germany) want it to remember their individual preferences on the road.

All of this is very much possible with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which bridges the gap between the car and the driver. Driving doesn’t represent the same activity for everyone, with some considering it a chore and others a pastime, but each of those individuals have varying needs while at the wheel of their car.

By capturing key information on drivers’ preferred destinations and pastimes, in-car digital assistant technology provides a more humanized driving experience, helping us spend less time on the road and more time doing what we enjoy.