I strip away the old debris that hides a shining car.

A brilliant red Barchetta from a better, vanished time.

I fire up the willing engine,

Responding with a roar.

Tires spitting gravel, I commit my weekly crime…

–Rush, “Red Barchetta,” 1981

Technological advances are rapidly making driverless cars a reality—and the potential impact on the insurance industry may prove greater than that of the Affordable Care Act, according to Valerie Raburn, vice president and chief innovation officer for the insurance division of Xerox.

Looking roughly 15 years into the future—when industry experts say driverless vehicles will be sold for commercial use—Raburn, whose experience includes 20 years supporting process reengineering for a U.S. P&C insurer, sees a world where elderly baby boomers and driving-averse millennials rely on driverless vehicles to get them where they need to go.