Another benefit that people are forgetting is that these vehicles will communicate with each other.
So not only does your vehicle suddenly get 360° vision and microsecond reaction times, it gets the benefit of 100 other cars with 360° vision for 100's of yards all around it.
I'd bet once everyone has upgraded, you could spend all day dropping rocks off an overpass and never dent a single car.
Like some others have mentioned, I don't believe the government will ever have to outlaw manual driving. Lawyers and insurance premiums will ensure that only the wealthy or foolish will spend much time 'behind the wheel' as we know it currently.
Besides, who will want to drive for real when the virtua-sim machine in your basement provides you with a far more surrealistic experience?
__________________
"Teach a man to reason, and he'll think for a lifetime"
~P^2
|