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This situation isn't going to happen unless the vehicle was traveling at unsafe speeds to begin with. Cars can stop in quite a short distance. The only way thi
by terribleperson 1y ago
This situation isn't going to happen unless the vehicle was traveling at unsafe speeds to begin with.
Cars can stop in quite a short distance. The only way this could happen is if the pedestrian was obscured behind an object until the car was dangerously close. A safe system will recognize potential hiding spots and slow down preemptively - good human drivers do this.
- AnIrishDuck 1y ago> Cars can stop in quite a short distance. "Quite a short distance" is doing a lot of lifting. It's been a while since I've been to driver's school, but I remember them making a point of how long it could take to stop, and how your senses could trick you to the contrary. Especially at highway speeds. I can personally recall a couple (fortunately low stakes) situations where I had to change lanes to avoid an obstacle that I was pretty certain I would hit if I had to stop.
- terribleperson 1y agoAt the driving school I attended, they had us accelerate to 50 mph and then slam on the brakes so we'd have a feel for the distance (and the feel). While it's true they don't stop instantaneously at highway speeds, cars shouldn't be driving highway speeds when a pedestrian suddenly being in front of you is a realistic risk.
- AnIrishDuck 1y agoWhat if the obstacle is not a person? What if something falls off a truck in front of the vehicle? What if wildlife spontaneously decides to cross the road (a common occurrence where I live)? I don't think these problems can just be assumed away.