No surprises there. The transition to driverless cars is (IMHO inevitable. At some point it will be cheap enough that the additional cost will pale in comparison to the lives that will be saved as well as the simple convenience of being able to do something else while commuting somewhere. Likewise I see this kind of thing replacing many forms of public transportation. There will simply be a fleet of cars. You'll say…
People generally cite the lawsuit threat, but the threat cuts both ways. I've seen lawsuits for putatively malfunctioning anti-lock brakes, and I've seen lawsuits for not including anti-lock brakes. At some point, once it is reasonably well demonstrated that automated cars drive more safely than humans under some circumstances, someone is going to file a lawsuit for not having automated drivers. It's only a matter of…
The problem is a systemic one that stems from the belief that the gov't is the omnipresent nanny of its citizenry.
Note: Before I get downvoted, I recognize that statistically seat belts save lives, however, there are conditions in which seatbelts cause fatalities (even when used properly), and that the choice of whether to wear or not wear one should be that of informed consent.