New concepts from Mercedes suggest the driverless cars will be a place for relaxing or working, but not driving, rethinking the car’s layout radically. "We are convinced that autonomous driving will be a central factor on the way to comfortable, accident-free driving," says Dr. Herbert Kohler, Daimler's head of corporate research and sustainability. "Autonomous driving relieves pressure and stress in driving situations usually regarded as tedious, for example in tailbacks, in inner-city areas or on long journeys. At the same time, it opens up new ways in which people can make the best use of their time on the road.” There is no longer a need for a driver at the wheel, and so the car interior of the future becomes more like a lounge area or meeting space. The front seats of the car can be turned around and passengers can spend their time relaxing or working. Mercedes sees potential for turning the car into a "private area of retreat in increasingly dense urban traffic.”