Posted on 03/25/2014 5:48:48 PM PDT by DannyTN
Sue Google for inventing such a stupid thing!
Most cars have computers now. They don’t crash very often, but you’re car won’t run if they do.
If a computer shuts down while one’s hands are on the wheel...I would think one would be far more likely to be able to control a vehicle, than one would in a hands off situations.
It's not like Microsoft designs their operating system. These would be different computers controlling the driving functions, but I would think they would be selected for high reliability.
In 2012 Google claimed 300,000 miles accident free.
Well, from watching the commercials, it’s the asbestos companies or the drug companies or whoever makes those steel knees.
Firestone, for the jackasses who don’t put air in their tires and expected Google to do it for them.
This only accounts for the accidents which did happen, not the ones I avoided. (Think about that for a while!)
For instance, I swerved to avoid relatively flat obstructions in the road 3 times this week. Any one of them could have caused tire damage resulting in later tire failure. So for a driver who does not avoid rolling over small pointy objects in the street the incidence of tire failure will be higher than it is today.
“I disagree with the premise that the robot is automatically a better driver than I am. For instance, I slow down below the limit when I see kids more that a block away. I pay much less attention if the people are adults. I also prepare for evasive action at certain intersections just by reputation.”
It will probably not be a better driver than you in 100% of situations...just 99% or so.
From your examples, even the current-gen automated cars already have far better reaction time and situational awareness than do you. They have a much better chance of stopping in time if a kid darts out in front of the car, or of success if they need to take “evasive action”. They also don’t get distracted, tired or drunk.
To the main thesis of this article, “who gets sued” will be determined by the forensic video and data from the crash, collected by the autonomous car(s) involved. I think the only common cause of avoidable crashes will be equipment failure, which will likely be attributed to either a) insufficient maintenance, b) unusual failure (act of God, essentially) or c) manufacturer flaw. As far as personal liability, only (a) above should be an issue - so car maintenance will be even more important than it is now.
“If a computer shuts down while one’s hands are on the wheel...I would think one would be far more likely to be able to control a vehicle, than one would in a hands off situations.”
Production autonomous cars will have to include some level of redundancy. One scheme would use two driving computers, with the second ready to take over if the first fails. Then the “maintenance needed NOW” light comes on.
I expect there will be different price points, with different levels of reliability and safety - just as with vehicles today.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.