Self Driving Cars Would Save Millions Of Americans

Would you be willing to give up your driving privileges to decrease auto fatalities?

Give up my driving. privileges? No.
Buy a self driving Tesla? Yes
If I get the need to "Mario Andretti", I will take my truck.

In order for this to become a reality, wouldn’t everybody have to own a self driving car? Thats as likely as having all homes powered by solar panels and windmills. Poor people need to drive as well, unless Democrats get their wish and we go full communist… then only the rich will drive and the roads will be pretty empty.

Not everyone would have to adopt self driving cars immediately. Just gradually as older cars wear out.

There will always be malfunctions and accidents, even if a human was not at fault. So who gets sued when someone dies? Will car insurance no longer be necessary for people who never touch the steering wheel?

I’d also be curious to watch thousands of self driving cars dealing with an icy mountain pass… that would be fun.

And if robot cars are the future, how soon before we get robot air cars?

I suspect the owners of the cars will be considered liable, just like the owners of dogs.

We just had a 75 vehicle pileup on I-70 last week. Do you think if half those vehicles were robot cars, would the number of vehicles have been lower?

Would you be more likely to take back control in a storm?

Downside of self driving cars?

FredHayek wrote: And if robot cars are the future, how soon before we get robot air cars?

I suspect the owners of the cars will be considered liable, just like the owners of dogs.

Yes, but people have the ability and responsibility to control their dogs. How do you control a car that is out of your control? If you really do have a self driving car, then it’s the car that is at fault, just like if an uber driver crashes… it was out of the passenger’s control.

At the end of this post is a precise of insurance for autonomous driven vehicles. The insurance industry is slow to react, i.e. reduce rates and therefore profits. But it will come around, albeit slowly.
For me, I have a vehicle that has 5 yrs left on its bumper to bumper warranty, once that is over I will purchase an autonomous vehicle if not sooner. It is the answer to my question of continuing to live in the mountains and require frequent trips down the hill for medical and other reasons. Much like taking a taxi or Uber without the cost and inconvenience.
Imagine going to your vehicle, getting in and then telling it to take you to St. Anthony's Hospital for and appointment or worse urgent care. No reason to bother a neighbor or family, if close by. In 5 yrs or less the technology will improve logrhythmically.
Once again Elon Musk has shown the way and Tesla offers its own insurance at a rate less than commercial.
Here is what Grok.com complied:

Here's a clear overview of insurance premiums for self-driving (autonomous) vehicles as of 2026.

Current Situation (Level 2–3 Automation, Like Tesla FSD Supervised)

Most "self-driving" features today are advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), not true fully autonomous vehicles. You remain legally responsible as the driver, so insurance works mostly like a regular car:

Premiums are based primarily on your driving record, age, location, credit, mileage, and the vehicle's value/repair costs — not the self-driving tech itself.
Cars with self-driving features (e.g., Tesla Autopilot/FSD, GM Super Cruise) often cost more to insure than comparable non-autonomous vehicles. Why? Expensive sensors, cameras, radars, and computing hardware make even minor repairs very costly (recalibration alone can add hundreds or thousands of dollars).⁠Autoinsurance
Average full-coverage Tesla insurance (popular for FSD) runs roughly $2,500–$4,000+ per year depending on model, location, and insurer — often higher than gas cars due to repair costs. Tesla's own insurance program is frequently cheaper (sometimes 20–50% lower than competitors in available states) and factors in real-time driving data.⁠Nerdwallet
Some positive developments:

Insurers like Lemonade (as of early 2026) offer a new "Autonomous Car Insurance" product that cuts per-mile rates by ~50% for miles driven with Tesla FSD engaged, based on data showing lower risk during autonomous operation.⁠Lemonade
Tesla Insurance gives discounts (e.g., ~10% or more) for high FSD usage via their Safety Score, and recent updates assign perfect scores to FSD miles.
Usage-based programs (telematics) from Progressive, State Farm, etc., can reward safer overall behavior.
In short: Right now, self-driving features don't reliably lower your premium — they may even raise it due to repair severity, even if accident frequency drops.

Future Outlook (Level 4–5 True Self-Driving / Robotaxis)

As vehicles become more autonomous and liability shifts from the driver to the manufacturer/software provider:

Fewer accidents (human error causes ~90% of crashes) should reduce claims and push premiums down significantly over time.
Long-term projections (e.g., Goldman Sachs) suggest auto insurance costs could drop ~50% by 2040, potentially to ~$0.23 per mile for commercial autonomous use vs. higher today.⁠Interactivebrokers
Insurance models may shift to per-mile pricing (especially for robotaxis, which rack up 50,000+ miles/year) rather than annual per-vehicle policies.
For personal owners: You might eventually need little or no traditional auto insurance — manufacturers could bundle coverage or assume liability (product liability insurance rises instead).
Challenges keeping premiums higher in the short/medium term:
High repair costs for advanced tech.
Uncertainty in determining fault (software vs. human vs. cyber issues).
Higher initial severity of claims.
Regulatory and data-sharing hurdles.
For commercial robotaxis (Waymo, Cruise, etc.), fleets already carry high liability limits (e.g., $5 million in California for driverless services), and insurance is handled at the company level rather than individually.

Key Factors That Will Influence Your Premium

Level of automation — Level 2 (hands-on) has minimal impact; full Level 4/5 (no human needed) changes everything.
Data from the vehicle — Real-time telemetry on when self-driving was active could lead to personalized, lower rates.
Location — Rules vary by state (e.g., California has specific AV regulations).
Insurer — Early adopters like Lemonade, Tesla Insurance, or usage-based providers are leading on discounts.
Bottom Line

Today: Expect similar or slightly higher premiums for a car with self-driving features due to repair costs, with limited discounts for usage.
Near future (next 5–10 years): More discounts for autonomous miles as data proves safety gains.
Long term: Potentially much lower (or bundled) costs as accidents plummet and liability shifts.
If you're shopping for a specific vehicle (e.g., Tesla with FSD) or in a certain state like New York, get quotes from multiple insurers (including Tesla Insurance where available) and ask about autonomous/usage-based options. Premiums vary widely by your personal profile.

Got details on the car, location, or insurer you're considering? I can help narrow it down further.