People have been joking about, “Where’s my flying car?” ever since The Jetsons hit TV screens over 60 years ago. But in more recent years people have been asking, “Where’s my self-driving car?”—and not as a joke. That’s because we’ve been hearing the rumblings of “cars will soon drive themselves” for at least 10 years…

Mercedes-Benz’s Drive Pilot is the first system that crosses the boundary between “assisted” driving and “automated” driving. In Drive Pilot mode, if some specific circumstances are met, the car completely takes over, allowing the driver to take their hands off the wheel, feet off the pedals, and eyes off the road for an extended period. This means they can, for example, watch TV, read a book, or play a game with their passengers. Drivers must remain in the driver’s seat and cannot dramatically recline it, and they must be capable of retaking control of the car in 10 seconds or less.