I think people are excited about this because it seems to mesh so closely to the Trolley Problem, which has been an important thought experiment in the study of ethics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem (They even have an "Implications for autonomous vehicles" section now.)

So, who knew? Suddenly it's not so theoretical, it apparently has a real-world application. Except, as you seem to be getting at, probably the only thing engineers will be considering in any depth is how and when to brake, not trying to swerve the car elaborately in one direction or the other. The number of occasions when a serious accident occurs because a driver reflexively swerved to avoid an animal or other obstruction (sometimes literally dozens dead in one accident) emphasises that swerving is not so good a strategy as braking. Or, as my driving instructor once told me, "There is only one cause of accidents on our roads: failing to stop in time."