Currently 33,000 people die each year on American roads. Let's say that self-driving cars cut that number to 10,000, but that almost all that 10,000 is because of failures in the self-driving car technology. Will the American public accept that? They've behaved irrationally before, they could again.
I don't accept the premise that the choice is irrational. Given the existence of a skill set that helps avoid accidents, it is quite rational for individuals who possess that skill set to choose their own judgement over a random chance of technical failure.
Also, I don't accept the premise that surrendering agency in exchange for safety is, in the context of human emotional needs and the long-term evolution of society, a rational choice.