First of all, humans are pretty good already at "looking but failing to see" - if it happens just 1% less with machines that's got to be a good thing. (Let's not discuss the size of the 'if' here).
There's a huge point to cars driving themselves on many journeys; I could read a book, catch up on emails, etc. Etc. whilst on those boring motorways and trunk roads that make driving a chore. Switch it off when the going gets interesting or I just want a drive.
And as has been said previously, getting back from the pub will be a lot easier!
I completely agree. One of the main aspects about these kinds of driverless technologies is that the vehicles should in fact be many times safer than cars driven by human pilots.
They have 4G comms, radar, ultrasonics, complete 360 degree vision, and processing power far faster than a normal human's ability to integrate information multiple sources simultaneously. Fighter pilots and driving gods might outperform them in these areas, but not the rest of us.
And of course their biggest single advantage is that, however much they might like to think otherwise, human drivers are completely unable to fully and accurately understand the intentions and motivations of other drivers, especially those which they haven't yet seen or heard.
Autonomous vehicles, on the other hand, would be able to communicate with each other and establish coordinating routes way before they come into a dangerous range.
