Self-driving car kills pedestrian

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Frijj said:
On the flip side these cars will overall be safer and kill far fewer people. So jobs lost but many lives saved.
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Only time will tell,
as with computerised systems in aircraft which have brought along their own new range of risks and consequent loss of life.
 
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I think it will still be a fair few years before we see them properly in town and cities. I can see it initially for things like trucks.. Depot to depot along the motorway and then the last 20-30 Mile's done by a driver
 
Whether the vehicle was controlled by a computer or a person the stopping distance is the same regardless once those brakes have been hit. If someone steps out right in front of a moving vehicle there's not much that can be done.

I'm not saying that's what happened, I'm just not willing to jump the gun and call it a malfunction immediately
 
It’s more than thirty years since the first fly by wire aircraft systems came into use and they are still a long way from allowing pilotless passenger aircraft in the skies.

The same applies to ground control systems which are still largely dependent on the human factor.

The vast worldwide road systems and traffic control are probably far more numerous and complex than this, so if modern technology still cant safely control the skyways, who is to say if and when it will ever be safe and trustworthy on jam packed roads ?
 
PinzaC55 said:
This requires the attention of @ProfessionalMackem
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I'm torn mate. I'm a futuristic and want us to push the boundaries as humans. Just not convinced that driverless cars are required atm when there are other avenues to spend the research money on. Like standardised utilities, nuclear fusion or better energy source, increased footprint in space etc

Plus theres a part of me that think this could end up as another curtailment of our civil liberties. If it ever took off. What's stopping them from saying right no body is allowed to drive unless it's driverless?

I'm not totally against it just not to keen on it either.
 
Cars driven by actual people knock down pedestrians all the time. As far as I know this is the very first time a self driving car has done it. It may have even been the pedestrian's fault.

Give technology a chance.
 
Occam's Razor said:
Cars driven by actual people knock down pedestrians all the time. As far as I know this is the very first time a self driving car has done it. It may have even been the pedestrian's fault.

Give technology a chance.
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It could well have been but I am sure a competent lawyer can and will argue that a human driver could have reacted more quickly and possibly have avoided the pedestrian and hammer Uber for millions, not that that will be any use to the victim or her family. It's amazing that they were allowed to trial it on a public street.
When the Uber boss says "We're thinking of the victim's family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened," I think he means "We are working with our lawyers to mitigate our damages".
 
Epping said:
I think it will still be a fair few years before we see them properly in town and cities. I can see it initially for things like trucks.. Depot to depot along the motorway and then the last 20-30 Mile's done by a driver
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Great shout. I think it is the future and will save millions of lives but it can't happen overnight.
As another poster touched on, I think it will end in people losing the ability to drive. I drive a lot, and for most people, that's a great result.
 
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