> This won't be high on the feature list

You could hardly be any less correct. This is by far the most major and interesting feature enabled by auto-driven and cooperative cars: http://www.sartre-project.eu/en/Sidor/default.aspx

> as it's still really dangerous.

Not really.

If you're adding laser rangefinders and a trunk full of computer equipment, you might as well weld on a few mechanical couplers, too. They work well enough for trains, anyway.