Jaywalking is a crime because automakers wanted it to be. It had more to do with increasing the speed and utility of cars than it did with pedestrian safety (nobody gives a shit, and nobody gets in trouble for killing pedestrians with automobiles) [1].

I hope autonomous cars can help re-enable the peaceful co-existence of multiple modes of transportation on our streets.

[1]: http://www.citylab.com/commute/2012/04/invention-jaywalking/...