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This doesn't help if you go to jail for the actions of the self driving car. (Generally. I'm not talking about the specific case linked). Also, consumers can't

This doesn't help if you go to jail for the actions of the self driving car. (Generally. I'm not talking about the specific case linked). Also, consumers can't be trusted to pick the safest cars. Most consumers choose on price, not safety features.

rvnx 6y ago
I may have a solution then, In the future, let's imagine in 20 years, we may see "cars as a service", so essentially you can summon a Tesla, and the Tesla can bring you anywhere. In that perspective, isn't it clear that the liability is to the company that organised the trip ? In similar way to when you get carried by a bus, a taxi or a train ?
- bobthepanda 6y ago
  But then why would people prefer this over driving and operating a car themselves? One problem I‘ve always seen with the fleet model of widespread automated cars is that in 2020 cars are very much status symbols as much as they are modes of transportation. People own BMWs and Porsches to show off status first and get around second, and these types of people will always want “their” car.
  - jaredmosley 6y ago
    I would expect that their status would come from being able to hail more expensive cars. They would spend extra to have an automated Porsche, BMW, etc. pick them up.
  - wongarsu 6y ago
    There will be cheap fleets and more expensive fleets, just as there is UberX, UberBlack and UberSelect. You could also imagine a BMW fleet that offers specific models only if you are an established frequent customer, so people can show off that they didn't just upgrade for this occasion but always travel in style. Of course there are still plenty of edge cases where individual car ownership is nessesary, whether that's because too few cars of that type would be booked to make a fleet viable (Rolls-Royce) or because you are in a very rural area.
    - bobthepanda 6y ago
      What you are describing is an automated taxi. Rich people who want to call a chauffeured luxury car can do so in most major cities. Many of them do use such a service, but many of them also own expensive cars to show off their wealth.
baddox 6y ago
How do you define and determine whether a consumer "chose on price" or "chose on safety features"? Surely consumers consider both the price and the desirable features when they purchase a car, just like for every other purchase. I suspect that most consumers wouldn't buy a $100 car than has a 50% chance of exploding every time you enter it, and most consumer wouldn't buy a $500,000 car that was 5% safer than a $40,000 car.
- thelean12 6y ago
  The point is that you shouldn't be able to sell or buy a $100 car that has a 50% chance of exploding every time you enter it. Or more to the point, you shouldn't be able to sell a shitty self driving system. The post I was responding to was basically saying "let the free market figure out which car has a better self driving system" which is a horrible way to go about it.

rvnx 6y ago

I may have a solution then, In the future, let's imagine in 20 years, we may see "cars as a service", so essentially you can summon a Tesla, and the Tesla can bring you anywhere. In that perspective, isn't it clear that the liability is to the company that organised the trip ? In similar way to when you get carried by a bus, a taxi or a train ?

bobthepanda 6y ago
But then why would people prefer this over driving and operating a car themselves? One problem I‘ve always seen with the fleet model of widespread automated cars is that in 2020 cars are very much status symbols as much as they are modes of transportation. People own BMWs and Porsches to show off status first and get around second, and these types of people will always want “their” car.
- jaredmosley 6y ago
  I would expect that their status would come from being able to hail more expensive cars. They would spend extra to have an automated Porsche, BMW, etc. pick them up.
- wongarsu 6y ago
  There will be cheap fleets and more expensive fleets, just as there is UberX, UberBlack and UberSelect. You could also imagine a BMW fleet that offers specific models only if you are an established frequent customer, so people can show off that they didn't just upgrade for this occasion but always travel in style. Of course there are still plenty of edge cases where individual car ownership is nessesary, whether that's because too few cars of that type would be booked to make a fleet viable (Rolls-Royce) or because you are in a very rural area.
  - bobthepanda 6y ago
    What you are describing is an automated taxi. Rich people who want to call a chauffeured luxury car can do so in most major cities. Many of them do use such a service, but many of them also own expensive cars to show off their wealth.

baddox 6y ago

How do you define and determine whether a consumer "chose on price" or "chose on safety features"? Surely consumers consider both the price and the desirable features when they purchase a car, just like for every other purchase. I suspect that most consumers wouldn't buy a $100 car than has a 50% chance of exploding every time you enter it, and most consumer wouldn't buy a $500,000 car that was 5% safer than a $40,000 car.

thelean12 6y ago
The point is that you shouldn't be able to sell or buy a $100 car that has a 50% chance of exploding every time you enter it. Or more to the point, you shouldn't be able to sell a shitty self driving system. The post I was responding to was basically saying "let the free market figure out which car has a better self driving system" which is a horrible way to go about it.