[Marc P.]

I am also surprised at the negative reaction towards this. True, there are situations where a self driving car may not be necessary, but that doesn't make it a bad thing. According to the article- The car will be capable of piloting itself at speeds up to 60 mph in heavy traffic without any input from the driver sitting behind the steering wheel. Capable does not imply mandatory.

That said, I can definitely see a use for this. Elderly people who otherwise have trouble driving around, or people with vision problems preventing them from getting on the road can make use of a system like this. As long as it is proven safe in various environments (night, rain, snow, etc), I say why condemn a remarkable piece of technology. Anything to increase the potential safety of public roads is a good thing in my book. Ideally, I'd like to see a hybrid human/autonomous control system, where the computer constantly monitors for potential hazards, and takes corrective action faster than a human could otherwise react. Many fender-benders can be avoided if a computer can detect a car suddenly brake in front, and slow/stop the car before a collision occurs. It would also be nice for those long car trips where the drive is mostly highways, like I drive from here in Connecticut to Rochester, NY to visit my grandmother. I'd love to set the car on auto-drive and nap for an hour or two.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and I can definitely see a need/use for self-navigating cars.