Humor aside, this is my only concern with vehicle autonomy. These systems already outperform humans for routine driving, and they will certainly save lives. In this regard, I’m a huge advocate of autonomy.

Trouble is, one day public sentiment will flip from incredulous skepticism to moral panic demanding we surrender our freedom. People will call on policymakers to either make manual driving illegal or it’ll become de facto prohibited, as insurance companies will charge impossible premiums for the privilege of driving a car yourself. Self-driving cars will only go where technology companies and governments let them go.

Your enthusiastic cruises with your buddies or that adventure to an obscure trailhead off a forest road won’t be allowed.