This is great news. Over 30,000 people die annually due to motor vehicles in the United States alone [0] and the number would be far greater without the steady

This is great news. Over 30,000 people die annually due to motor vehicles in the United States alone [0] and the number would be far greater without the steady improvements to vehicular safety over the years. To reduce that number to as close to 0 as is possible absolutely should be a top priority for our nation as a whole. The technology is there, much of the infrastructure is there, and the rest is on the way. Autonomous cars promise to revolutionize the way humans use cities in a positive way. Here in NYC where automobile traffic is quite a bit more abundant than anyone could particularly desire I yearn for the day when we can reclaim all that parking space for green and pedestrian use. I anticipate the lack of diesel fumes, the reduction in engine and siren noise, and the ready availability of autonomous vehicles to take me to my destination, probably with a quick action to my smart watch, phone, etc. Autonomous electric vehicles can stay in use for extremely long durations of time thus reducing the overall numbers of cars on the roads at any given time. To reduce emissions will reduce incidences of asthmatic and respiratory illnesses in urban centers. To park themselves outside of major urban areas during non peak hours allows for repairs, and the reclamation of space I mentioned. To run with electric engines means far fewer maintenance costs in general due to much fewer moving parts than traditional combustion engines. To coordinate flows of traffic ensures traffic moves more efficiently, and the loud sirens and flashing lights of emergency vehicles can be a thing of the past. And of course there are the wonderful cartoons from thw New Yorker in which a police man is at the window of a civilians car "Does your car know why my car pulled it over?" If this is done right it will be one of the greatest achievements of our modern era and will truly usher us into a new world of clean air, reclaimed public spaces, silenter cities, and tremendous mobility. What an exciting time to be alive!