Self-driving cars aren’t that far off in the future.

The explosion of innovation is expected to get even more profound in the the years to come as the technology inside cars accelerates. Check out the infographic after the break that shows the near-future of car tech, revealing what might happen in the next five years.

We’ve tested many of today’s techno-cruisemobiles, and they are loaded with gee-whiz features. The day we let the car automatically park itself while we sat behind the wheel — watching it being turned by what seemed like a ghost — was the moment we realized that self-driving cars can’t be that far off.

This infographic tells us that self-driving vehicles are right around the corner, set to hit showrooms by 2017.

So the technology might be ready, but will drivers be willing to trust it enough to sit and read their iPads or put on makeup on their way to work instead of driving? (Wait, aren’t they doing that now?)

That depends on how good the technology is. All it will take is one chain-reaction accident of self-driving cars to scare people away … for a while. The technology will go through its growing pains. But when the number of self-driving cars reaches a critical mass — and vehicles can all talk to each other — the accident rate will get much closer to zero.

Meanwhile, take a look at this infographic that shows you the road ahead for car tech. Then let us know in the comments what features you’re most looking forward to, and which ones you’d rather avoid.

Photo credit: Extreme Tech

Via Mashable