# Self driving cars are still decades away **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 10, 2017, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499 "2017-10-10T17:38:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 2537
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499/2537 "2025-05-23T02:27:02Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > And the same people defending these nonsensical timelines back then Surely, in making such an accusation, you can point to the 2018 era posts where I said those things. I did find [this](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-this-legal-problem-with-self-driving-cars-be-solved/672591/2) ancient post of mine talking about Autopilot, though… well before it was a shipping feature! > [@How can this legal problem with self-driving cars be solved?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-this-legal-problem-with-self-driving-cars-be-solved/672591/2): > > In the medium term, we won’t have auto-driving cars; we’ll have cars with “autopilot”. The distinction is that you will still have a “pilot in command” that can override any automatic decision. Of course, there will still be lawsuits, but most of them will go the way of “We never guaranteed that the autopilot works in every situation. The driver is still ultimately responsible.” Just as now, where auto manufacturers don’t get sued because someone used cruise control to rear-end someone. > > Maybe after another 20 years of mostly-automated cars on the road, the bugs will be worked out and manufacturers will be willing to flip the switch. It’ll take that long for the legislation to catch up, anyway. Looks like I was more skeptical then about timelines! 2013+20=2033. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-driving-cars-are-still-decades-away/798499)._