Context is a major part of driving it worries me when you see these videos of self-driving cars slamming on brakes a metre or two from a pedestrian. A human dri

Context is a major part of driving it worries me when you see these videos of self-driving cars slamming on brakes a metre or two from a pedestrian. A human driver would see the person at the side of the road whether it's a marked crosswalk or not. There are visual cues we humans know which mean "I'm going to cross the street now" such as a pedestrian turning their head towards the driver to make eye contact first, holding out one arm while looking both ways. Slamming on the brakes at the very last moment isn't what I'd call a success. As a Canadian who lives in the very snowy Maritimes I have a lot of experience with driving in the winter. I started driving at age 14 and my job as a teen, 20s and 30s required me to drive in all conditions. Winter driving has to be instinctive there is no time to think and as noted above also depends on context. If a pedestrian walks out from the side of the road and that road has a curve maybe even a downhill curve what now? Slamming on the brakes even ABS may not help. The inertia and being on an angle may (my guess is will) cause the vehicle to slip towards the outside part of the curve. If the vehicle is in the right lane it would slide into oncoming traffic. Counter-steering at the very instant your vehicle starts to fishtail is a learned skill that has to be instinctive. And when to use that technique or when not to use it. Slush is I think one of the most dangerous things a winter driver will face. A driver who drives into a line of slush that may be left on the center line can easily have their vehicle jerk violently to the left. It can be a situation where you have less than half a second to react. Brakes on a curve has to be one of the most common problems with inexperienced winter drivers. I see it all the time even with drivers who I know have been living here all their lives. Who will scrape off all the optical sensors in the morning? I've had ice so thick and so hard to get off you'd swear it was concrete glued to your windshield. Not to mention the slush, snow, dirt-salt-water mix constantly splashing up. Anyone with a backup camera knows it's a constant battle to keep it clean or it's useless. It will be interesting to see the results but I think there is far more to self-driving in the winter than on clear, dry roads in warmer climates.