Bear with me dear readers – your humble blogger knows you’re only interested in news from California.  In fact, rumor has it that when some of you see a discussion on these hallowed pages regarding anything other than this great state, you may consider plugging your ears and going “la la la la la – I can’t hear  you – la la la la la” until the discussion returns to California.

This behavior is decidedly odd, of course, because this is a written publication, so you can really just not read it… there’s no sound involved…

Anyway, Governor Rich Snyder of the Great State of Michigan (although not as great as California) has signed into law a bill that would allow driverless cars on its roads.

Just think about it, dear readers – this process is happening and, absent a real-life Terminator-style scenario, more states are likely to follow suit.  In fact, given the inherent federal nature of roads and highways, it would not be surprising if, before long, there was a universal federal law in the United States permitting driverless cars.

The implications are astounding, of course – so many jobs would be automated.  Not only would the pool of labor being covered by workers’ compensation policies decrease, but we might see other benefits to the defense community: providing transportation for a worker to medical appointments, QME examinations, depositions… these things can get expensive.  Not every injured worker is willing to take Uber and get a reimbursement.

In those cases, how much cheaper will it be when a professional driver need not be hired for the day, but a driverless car can be dispatched?  Injured workers unable to drive will also have a cheaper claim for in-home care.

In the same way that once, long ago, the common mode of transportation was on horseback, and automotive ownership was an expensive luxury, perhaps owning cars and driving cars through human hands will be considered a skill-based luxury.

Have a good weekend!