[sesutton]

I don't think we'll go straight from total human control to total automation directly. I imagine that the first versions of automated cars will require some supervision and only work in certain conditions. This will likely require some sort of system to detect the driver is paying attention, like steering wheel sensors, to prevent people from just going to sleep.

[lojack]

The first versions of automated cars already exist. Mercedes, BMW, and Audi have versions of their cars that maintain a safe distance from the cars in front of you. Mercedes also has a system which will automatically steer the car to keep it in a lane for you. Prius and Lexus have cars that'll automatically parallel park themselves.