Everybody seems to be excited about driverless cars. The technology is advancing rapidly, and major companies are racing to bring products to market. There are some lingering worries, of course, about both the ethics and legality of driverless cars, but the benefits are so huge and obvious that it will be a big surprise if driverless cars don't eventually become almost universal.
The advent of driverless cars won't just save time and lower or eliminate the hassle of driving; it will have a profound impact on the way our society is organized. This is because the technology greatly lowers the cost of moving a human being from one place to another. They do this in several ways. First, they allow work to be done in the car, meaning that the time-cost of travel is reduced. Second, they will reduce stress and risk.
When technologies lower transport costs, they make it easier to live far away from where we work, play and meet. With driverless cars, people won't be forced to live near downtown Chicago in order to work there. They will be able to shop at trendy New York boutiques while living in the distant suburbs. Cities may become places where no one lives but where everyone works and meets.