Study: Self-Driving Vehicles Will Lead To More Sex In Cars

(CBS Local) -- Self-driving cars are expected to change the way we travel and work. But autonomous vehicles, also known as AVs, could also have a profound impact on our sex lives, according to a new study.

"People will be sleeping in their vehicles, which has implications for roadside hotels," Scott Cohen, who led the study, told Fast Company magazine. "That led us to think, besides sleeping, what other things will people do in cars when free from the task of driving? And you can see that in the long association of automobiles and sex that's represented in just about every coming-of-age movie. It's not a big leap."

In fact, Cohen argues that AVs could even revolutionize the prostitution industry, particularly in cities with legal red light districts. With Cohen comparing the vehicles to hotels, he sees more johns turning to AVs for romps, rather than formal brothels.

"It's not impossible or that far-fetched to imagine the red light district on the move. Prostitution doesn't need to be legal for this to happen. Plenty of illegal activities happen in cars," he told the magazine.

He even suggests that automakers may opt to design cabins in autonomous vehicles to cater towards those looking for such scandalous rides. After all, "sex sells," he notes.

Nearly sixty percent of Americans have already had sex in a car, according to another study, and Cohen says sex in self-driving cars is expected to become more of a widespread practice by the 2040s.