Between Silicon Valley’s disruption-happy tech giants and Detroit’s suddenly totally on board automakers, it’s easy to think of America as the center of the self-driving universe. And so it seems a bit backwards that Audi has decided to release the world’s most capable semiautonomous driving feature in … Europe.

When the 2019 A8 sedan hits dealer lots later this year, Europeans will have access to Traffic Jam Pilot, which will take control of the car on the highway at speeds below 37 mph; no need for the constant human supervision required by current systems like Tesla’s Autopilot.

On this side of das pond, however, as CNET reports, too many questions remain about laws that change from one state to the next, insurance requirements, and things like lane lines and road signs that look different in different regions. When the A8 goes on sale here, it won’t come with Traffic Jam Pilot. Audi’s bosses don’t want the drama, so Americans don’t get the freedom.

Audi’s cutting the US out of the self-driving party underlines how much trouble industry and government are having wrapping their heads around a technology that could be a boon for safety, convenience, and profit margins, but that upends much of the framework that has evolved to govern cars driven by good old fallible humans. Audi’s more capable system—which puts more trust in the computer than anything before it—threatens to turn today’s headaches into tomorrow’s scream-inducing migraines.

Traffic Jam Pilot, which puts the computer in charge of the driving, using an interior camera to watch the driver's head and eyes, to ensure they remain present and capable of taking control if needed. Audi

Audi will be the first automaker to launch what engineers call a “Level 3” system, which can safely control itself, but still needs a human available to take over if, say, the weather turns scary or the lane lines disappear. (Drivers using Tesla Autopilot, Cadillac Super Cruise, or Nissan Pro Pilot are told the watch the road at all times and remain ready to take over from one second to the next.) The difference is small but important. As Audi’s website puts it: “With Traffic Jam Pilot engaged, drivers no longer need to continuously monitor the vehicle and the road. They must merely stay alert and capable of taking over the task of driving when the system prompts them to do so.” If you’re on the highway and stuck in slow traffic, activate the system and feel free to look at your phone or even read a book. Just don’t fall asleep, get drunk, or cut off your hands.