4 ms·

Your examples are absurd. Would you program a car to assume that all New Yorkers won't Jay walk? How about all people in Tempe will rush into the streets? Cult

Your examples are absurd. Would you program a car to assume that all New Yorkers won't Jay walk? How about all people in Tempe will rush into the streets? Cultural context definetly matters, but for none of the reasons you've mentioned. Writing specific use cases is insane for more reasons than I should have to point out to you. What if someone from tempe is on vacation in NY, should they be in danger because they follow a different culture? You need to rely on universal rules and implement the most cautious strategies. Pedestrian shows up at the curb, slow to a speed in which you can safely stop on a dime, resume cruising speed when the pedestrians intent is known.

jarfil 8y ago
Or... make Jay walking punishable by death, and autonomous cars won't need to stop, or even look for random pedestrians.
- userbinator 8y ago
  This, absolutely this. It's always bothered me why pedestrians seem to be universally given the right of way, when the irrefutable laws of physics dictate otherwise: a human, although having a lower speed, has a far wider view of its surroundings, and can change direction much quicker than a car whose driver is relatively slow to react and has a much more restricted view. In a collision, the bare human is always going to lose. To take another example, it's pretty well accepted that it's entirely your fault if you drive into the path of an oncoming train and get killed. Then why does it seem so controversial that the driver should not be at fault if you get hit because you didn't look and just stepped into the road expecting the oncoming car to avoid you?
  - c22 8y ago
    Because the train is on tracks.
    - userbinator 8y ago
      That doesn't change the fact that pedestrians are still far more agile than cars. (Anyone else want to explain the downvotes?)
      - c22 8y ago
        Don't be absurd. Some pedestrians are Usain Bolt and some pedestrians are Stephen Hawking.
  - mcbits 8y ago
    Outside of designated crosswalks, I don't think drivers are usually considered liable when a pedestrian walks in front of them if stopping would violate the laws of physics. Stop if possible, yes. I'd do the same for a squirrel, so that doesn't seem like too much to expect. At least the human might get cited for jaywalking.
rickycook 8y ago
it’s really a question of probabilities more than anything. chances that a pedestrian walking into the middle of the road will continue and walk in front of the car differ depending on if you’re in NY or Tempe

jarfil 8y ago

Or... make Jay walking punishable by death, and autonomous cars won't need to stop, or even look for random pedestrians.

userbinator 8y ago
This, absolutely this. It's always bothered me why pedestrians seem to be universally given the right of way, when the irrefutable laws of physics dictate otherwise: a human, although having a lower speed, has a far wider view of its surroundings, and can change direction much quicker than a car whose driver is relatively slow to react and has a much more restricted view. In a collision, the bare human is always going to lose. To take another example, it's pretty well accepted that it's entirely your fault if you drive into the path of an oncoming train and get killed. Then why does it seem so controversial that the driver should not be at fault if you get hit because you didn't look and just stepped into the road expecting the oncoming car to avoid you?
- c22 8y ago
  Because the train is on tracks.
  - userbinator 8y ago
    That doesn't change the fact that pedestrians are still far more agile than cars. (Anyone else want to explain the downvotes?)
    - c22 8y ago
      Don't be absurd. Some pedestrians are Usain Bolt and some pedestrians are Stephen Hawking.
- mcbits 8y ago
  Outside of designated crosswalks, I don't think drivers are usually considered liable when a pedestrian walks in front of them if stopping would violate the laws of physics. Stop if possible, yes. I'd do the same for a squirrel, so that doesn't seem like too much to expect. At least the human might get cited for jaywalking.

rickycook 8y ago

it’s really a question of probabilities more than anything. chances that a pedestrian walking into the middle of the road will continue and walk in front of the car differ depending on if you’re in NY or Tempe