>They only have to do better than the current, abysmal ~3,000 fatalities per day.

It's not 3000 fatalities per day, it's more like 150.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/healthmedical/a/aacrashdeaths....

Furthermore, this needs to be balanced against the potential for some seriously ugly 1984-style stuff when you give an external authority control of millions of cars. I don't understand how someone can complain about TSA regulations one day and turn around and ask for mandatory automated cars the next.