Auto insurance firms will have skin in the game too since they have to account for these new risks. What happens when the robot doesn’t yield the right of way?
I think you sound like you’re smoking wacky weed of irrational optimism. To travel on a specially prepared track is one thing. To mingle with human drivers, who will not instantly give up their cars, is quite another.
Remember most auto insurance companies do other forms of liability. So there’s a good chance they’re insuring the driver AND the company that made the car. What happens when the robot doesn’t yield the right of way is the same thing that happens when the person doesn’t: they pay for a replacement car and the owner’s rates go up.
It’s not optimism, and it’s not irrational. It’s paying attention to how things actually work. These cars are succeeding on the road right now. Some are available to consumers right now. Nobody is saying anything about giving up their cars. It’s a feature, just like any other. Some won’t buy the feature, especially for the first decade or so when it will only be in luxury cars. But just like cruise control it’ll work it’s way down.