The technology for driverless cars has been achieved, so the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is preparing to lay down federal guidelines for these vehicles. From George Kennedy at Autoblog:

“According to the report NHSTA administrator David Sctrickland says the technology could possibly save ‘thousands of lives.’ It was also reported that NHTSA has been in talks with a number of companies, including Google, regarding the implementation and development of this technology. Google has been testing its own fleet of driverless cars, logging over 300,000 miles on American roads. The tech company says autonomous vehicles could be made available to the public in the next ten years.

The technology has profound implications on the automotive industry and car culture. Strickland calls it a “game changer” and could make it possible for blind drivers or senior citizens who would otherwise have their licenses revoked, the ability to get around town. The savings from cutting down on congestion could result in as much as $100 billion in fuel savings.”