Most people don't appreciate just how much self-driving cars are about to change our lives.

LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is someone who does, as he laid out back in July (in an article tweeted out recently by the also forward-looking Tim O'Reilly, who called it "far and away the smartest thing on the subject.").

So what are the benefits?

Increased safety is the most well-known, as self-driving cars would not suffer from the human error that contributes to more than 90 percent of motor vehicle accidents, per Hoffman.

Then there's improved travel efficiency, as self-driving cars could travel in tight clusters, leading to " less idling at traffic lights, no stop-and-go slogs during rush-hour, no endless circling for parking," writes Hoffman, not to mention to fewer delays caused by crashes. All of that leads to an improved environmental impact, too.

And if that's not exciting enough, just think about how much more we could do in cars. Writes Hoffman:

In the future, motorists will be able to work, sleep, you name it. Watching a game on TV will replace listening to the game on the radio. Enjoying a leisurely meal with a knife, fork, and a glass of wine will replace gobbling down a burger with one hand.

Drinking and driving won’t be a crime – it will be an entrepreneurial opportunity. Texting and driving will still be frowned on – but only because people will be wondering why you aren’t Meerkatting and driving. When you use the word “gridlock,” your kids will have no idea what you mean. But they’ll be able to look it up on Google, even if they’re speeding down the highway at 100 MPH.

Finally, if you find yourself missing the physical pleasures of driving, you're in luck: Just slap on an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset and immerse yourself in a 3D version of Grand Theft Auto.

Read Hoffman's long take at LinkedIn.

When is this brave new world coming? Automakers are already designing concept cars focused on things you can do when not driving, and self-driving cars are set to expand incredibly fast in the next few years.