While you are correct, I think the distinguishing difference here is the rate of change. Automobiles became commercially viable and then common years apart and in some areas decades. The industry - and underlying jobs, infrastructure, etc - had time to adapt and change.

For self-driving vehicles, I suspect the window of time between "commercially viable" and "common" is a few years, ten if we want to be pessimistic.

So will society (jobs, infrastructure, etc) adjust quickly enough to absorb this change without major pain?

I don't know but since we know it's going to happen, I think we should push the conversation towards "what's next" and figure out how to help people get there instead of just lamenting the loss or complaining about the lament.