We demonstrably already have people willing to trust their life to a system which categorically was NOT designed to operate autonomously. We have armies of insurance providers who issue policies based on measured risk rather than perceived risk. And we have regulators who demonstrably prefer to pass rules favoring whichever way the corporate campaign contributions are blowing.
Not sure where this fits. Irrelevant?
We also have a not inconsiderable number of people content to drive through rush-hour traffic while simultaneously talking on the phone, eating breakfast, and possibly managing their kids. I would bet you good money that there's a certain percentage of them that would jump on the chance to have an electronic chauffeur because they are quite aware of many close calls they've had when driving with lots of distractions, but can't bare to schedule things more safely
You have no clue about how humans think.
Or would just appreciate having some time to themselves during the day instead of having to spend a couple hours a day driving the same stretch of idiot-filled road day after day
This is a different point, and I just replied to your argument of safety. You seem to assume safety and perceived safety are same, but it is clear that there is a very weak link between these 2, sometimes increase in one leads to decrease in the other.
They certainly won't be a *majority* any time soon, but if you can appeal to 0.01% of the population that's 40 000 people in the US alone - plenty viable for a test market, and as time goes on the inevitable horror stories will be weighed against the substantial insurance discounts and general laziness. Assume even 1% of the population is rational enough to recognize that the affordable and much improved mk3 version is in fact a safer driver than they are and first-hand experience at the luxury will spread it like wildfire.
Yes, it will probably take decades after the first one hits the road to really catch on, but that's normal - what percentage of cars on the road today do you suppose are 20+ years old?
I am not sure you realize your statements are schizophrenic. Wildfire? 1%? 0.01%? 20 years?
The original poster said "This is why autonomous cars are a long while away", to which you said "Nonsense". Now you yourself say autonomous cars are a long while away, though not in these words, interspersed with contradictions like wildfire.