Self-driving cars have been stuck in the slow lane for years. But if the incoming Trump administration rolls back regulation, they will shift up a gear. Motor insurers should buckle up. Depending on how rapidly the technology is adopted, it could boost their fortunes or run them off the road. 

The most pessimistic predictions for auto insurers assume widespread adoption of highly autonomous cars. If drivers are no longer responsible for accidents, liability would shift to manufacturers, limiting the role of conventional insurance to theft and non-driving-related damage. 

In 20 years’ time, lucrative auto insurance franchises might have disappeared altogether, according to data group Morningstar. That is based on its most aggressive scenario in which 60 per cent of cars are fully autonomous by 2044.