The point is not which is safer on a bottom line level, the point is consumers are terrified of the idea of surrendering control to a computer. Lots of people are terrified of flying for example even though it's much safer. Unless it's 10x safer people will be scared of automated cars and possibly even push for short-sighted laws.
Millions of people commute by subway everyday without suffering panic attacks. Tens of thousands (at the very least) ride Paris completely automated 14 subway line every day without suffering panic attacks, or any of the many other automated subways/monorails all around the world.
And yet a subset of them are probably terrified of flying. Because flying, in a way, is scary. Unlike birds we are not wired to fly. But that's fine: autonomous cars won't be flying. If train/subways/tramway/bus can be successful, so can autonomous cars.
