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I worry about the regulatory aspects of getting self-driving cars off-the-ground in the United States. It is inevitable that self driving cars will make mistake
by dtnewman 10y ago
I worry about the regulatory aspects of getting self-driving cars off-the-ground in the United States. It is inevitable that self driving cars will make mistakes and people will be injured or killed as a result. It is also inevitable that people will be injured or killed as a result of people driving cars. But in the long run, it's virtually guaranteed that self-driving technology will result in safer cars and fewer driving deaths. Computers can respond quicker, communicate well with other computers (hopefully) and they don't get drunk.
It's a fact of life that while accidents from ordinary drivers go unnoticed (ironically because they are so frequent), car crashes from self-driving cars will get covered extensively by the media, at least for the short term.
All this means that it will be a tough regulatory environment for self-driving cars in the US. In China, the government has more power to create regulatory policies around self-driving cars that take a long-term view without having to worry as much about lawsuits and other concerns.
Perhaps the fear of seeing the Chinese companies "getting there first" with self-driving cars will be an impetus for US regulators to create policies that are encourage the development of self-driving cars.
- rfghsfgt 10y agoThe issue is that self driving cars are naturally _worse_ than human drivers, and the only way to ensure that only the _good_ self driving cars get on the road is regulation. Like flying, if anyone could build an airplane and fly it, flying would be more dangerous then driving. It's the FAA which keeps these things in check.
- imh 10y agoI want the DMV to only license drivers when they are safe, alert, and driving defensively, so I want the DMV to only license autonomous systems when they can meet or exceed the bar of safe, alert, and defensive drivers. We can't enforce that humans drive that way after they're licensed, but we can enforce it with autonomous systems. We are already happy regulating driving, and we shouldn't lower the licensing bar to how people actually drive on average, "You get your license as long you drive better than the average Joe looking at google maps while he tailgates."
- hx87 10y ago> We can't enforce that humans drive that way after they're licensed Wait, isn't that what traffic police are for? Sometimes I wish speed limits were universally removed so that police will be forced to enforce the other 99.99% of traffic laws more strictly.
- Animats 10y agoPerhaps the fear of seeing the Chinese companies "getting there first" with self-driving cars will be an impetus for US regulators to create policies that are encourage the development of self-driving cars. Government is way ahead of you there. The California DMV has been licensing self-driving cars for on-highway test for several years now. 19 companies have signed up. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration had their meetings on regulations for self-driving cars last year and this year, and the proposed regulations are out. Basic rule: the manufacturer is responsible for all accidents of self-driving cars. Google and the big car companies are on board with this. Tesla has grudgingly accepted it.
- akira2501 10y ago> for US regulators to create policies that are encourage the development of self-driving cars. How much more friendly of an environment do they need? The NHTSA has guidelines, and wants answers, but it hasn't shown a lot of prior restraint in this space. These companies are slow to move because they know full well that if they kill enough drivers, their stock will fall so much that they'll be de-listed from any legitimate securities market in a matter of days. This is a complicated space with a lot of new liabilities and civil responsibilities to consider, it _should_ move slow.