Drinking and Self-Driving Cars

AT: I saw this headline in my morning paper, and I was so excited that drinking and driving would no longer be a problem.  It is another wonderful piece by Washington Post writers, headlined “Liquor industry is pushing to get self-driving cars on the road.”

Inherent in their support, analysts say, is an understanding that self-driving cars could revolutionize the way Americans drink.  Brewers and distillers say autonomous vehicles could reduce drunk driving.

Without the need to drive home after a night at the bar, drinkers could consume far more.  That would boost alcohol sales, one analysis predicts, by as much as $250 billion.

While the Washington Post stenographers didn’t seem to have any questions, I have some:

Will the roads be safer if a bunch of drunks program their self-driving cars?  I am sure there will be no programming errors.

Will the bar-owners, bartenders, and waitresses check to see which drinkers are in self-driving cars and which are not?  I assume they will have different rules for each, and they will cut off each based on those rules.

Will these heavy drinkers who will spend an extra $250 billion have the money to buy the expensive cars with all the cameras, computers, and batteries?

Will the self-driving cars be able to get in the driveways, garages, parking garages, and parking spaces and then get the drunks in their houses safely?

How will the insurance companies price the risk for drunks even when they won’t be driving, but just programming? MORE