Before we'll be able to fully let go of the wheel and allow cars to drive themselves, many important choices need to be made. The technology is already being developed in Detroit, Silicon Valley, Stuttgart, and Tokyo but some of the most decisive decisionseverything from licensing to liabilitywill come from lawmakers.

Several states have already legalized self-driving cars, primarily for testing purposes. And the agency in charge of overseeing vehicle safety, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), has been proactive in getting ahead of this potential transformation in how we get around. But policymakers inside the Beltway have just started turning their attention toward autonomous vehicles and the drastic changes the technology is predicted to cause in driving, the auto industry, and our transportation infrastructure, even as they acknowledge a self-driving future that's getting inexorably closer.

This was evident during a hearing held last month by the House Transportation Subcommittee on Highways and Transit to consider the future of autonomous vehicles. According to The Hill's Transportation and Infrastructure blog, "Lawmakers expressed a mix of wonderment and concern about driverless cars" during the hearing, which was convened to understand "the ramifications of the emerging technology."

Congressman and panel chairman Tom Petri (R-Wisconsin) acknowledged that autonomous cars could cut down on accidents caused by drunk and even fatigued drivers, and that the technology also reacts more quickly to hazards than distractible humans. "Autonomous vehicles could significantly reduce traffic fatalities and crashes by reducing or eliminating driver error, which is a contributing factor to over 90 percent of all crashes," Petri said.

And like many commuters, Representative Richard Hanna (R-New York) was fascinated by the convenience factor of self-driving cars. "So I dial a number and a car shows up, and I get in and I leave it wherever I got out?" he asked.

The Hill reported that Representative Albio Sires (D-New Jersey) had "so many questions" about self-driving cars sharing the road with other vehicles. "First, it's hard for me to fathom a car in New York City being without a driver," he said. "I mean, it's hard enough with a driver."

Sires also voiced concerns about how automated vehicles would affect the livelihood of auto mechanics. "I used to have a '65 Mustang that I did a lot of work on," Sires said. "I can't imagine anybody doing any work on these cars that are so sophisticated...I think it's just going to put people out of work."

A General Motors representative pointed out to Sires what any DIY auto enthusiast who has worked on a vehicle manufactured in the last 20 years or so already knows: trained repair technicians will only become more important. "I think it's going to create jobs ultimately," said GM's Mike Robinson. "I think all of these technologies are going to require...people capable of working on these systems."

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland was on hand to assure lawmakers that the agency has been closely monitoring the development of the driverless cars. Earlier this year, for example, NHSTA announced policy guidelines "for states related to the testing, licensing, and regulation" of self-driving cars and defined vehicle automation as having five levels.

Level 0 is defined as No-Automation while Level 4 is Full Self-Driving Automation. And some production vehicles, such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, are already at Level 3: Limited Self-Driving Automation, which allows the driver "to cede full control of all safety-critical functions under certain traffic or environmental conditions."

Seeing that autonomous vehicle technology has progressed this far without government oversight, GM's Robinson encouraged lawmakers to "let the market work" and allow automakers to "do what we do best and compete for customers with features that add real value to the drive today and to the future generations of vehicles tomorrow."

While Congressman Sires and his colleagues may not be ready for a hands-off approach to driving or to legislation on autonomous vehicles, at least they're getting up to speed on self-driving technology. "Look, I get it," Sires said. "That's where we're headed." Now it's just a matter of Spires and other lawmakers not slamming on the brakes.