One thing which will be CRITICAL, is for a worldwide standard 'language' with which the computers/cars converse.
When Obamacare was in the works, I sent 27 letters on various topics about glaring problems with the law. ONE was the mandated change to EMR (Electronic Medical Record). Every 'company' wanted their own proprietary way of doing it, so, Ocare idiotically did not require a standard. The GOAL of EMR was the quick sharing and retrieval of patient information to expedite care. But, government being government, implementation went as follows...
All companies produce some version of Electronic Medical Records.
Each company has their own 'language' form in which the data is coded. So, a GE system data is in GE form, but Seimens is in 'its' own form, and the two systems, while both being electronic, cannot share information. So the entire 'goal' of EMR was a disaster simply because at the onset, they didn't set a standard language upon which to build.
Multiply that by the number of auto manufacturers, and you can see the potential problem. I don't care what the cars do 'inside' but when the car in front of mine says there is an idiot pushing along the street to my left... I want my car to understand the language and know that the idiot with the bike is not a planter in the median.
This 'intercar' interaction will be critical and the 'fix' for most problems. For instance, in AZ, 10 cars are going down that road. The first car notes pedestrian 50ft to left of road moving 'East', 2nd car notes same pedestrian at 45ft, etc etc. Then car 8 sees the person move into the street, but still well away from the traffic lane, Car 9 recognizes the direction of travel of the pedestrian as it whiz's safely by, and Car 10 knows there is a pedestrian moving into the traffic lane and can brake accordingly.
As it was, you had to rely on the car's own sensors to do it all. Certainly, they will be required to 'see' and avoid... but it will be the interconnectivity which really makes things work well. It will almost completely resolve traffic, because a 14ft vehicle will merge into a 30ft spacing provided by the interaction, at 50mph. Cars will move into the appropriate lane based upon traffic ahead and destination. No more last minute changes across 4 lanes to get the Exit.
Also... I want Automated cars here by the time I am too old to drive. I don't want to be 'home bound' while I still have the ability to move about.
