This is far beyond a research project. At least Google and Tesla are already logging millions of miles on self-driving cars and their performance is vastly superior to human drivers. Tens of thousands of people die every year in car accidents, which dwarfs almost all other causes of accidental deaths. The quicker this technology arrives the quicker it will assuredly start saving lives. Teslas out right now are already near autonomous.

The ultimate irony of your article is the part about airplanes. You claim that counter to our intuitions air travel is the safest way to get between two points. Yet, similarly, in spite of our intuitive reluctance to let ourselves be driven by software, it is abundantly evident that we will soon be putting ourselves in danger by deciding to drive our own cars, or letting another human do it for us.