2 ms·

The hardest problem isn't a technical one; it has to do with liability. There will be crashes and deaths, no doubt about it. But who is at fault now? The car ma

by ebuth 12y ago

The hardest problem isn't a technical one; it has to do with liability. There will be crashes and deaths, no doubt about it. But who is at fault now? The car maker (or whomever wrote the software)? Because of this, laws regulating autonomous driving will be the bottleneck. I can envision something transitional: approval for long stretches of "easy" driving will come first. For example, driving on the I-5 from LA to SF. For me, this is the perfect use case for a self-driving car so I can enjoy doing something else rather than paying attention to a boring drive. Personally, self-driving cars in a downtown area isn't as crucial. Unless I have no idea where the hell I'm going in a confusing city.

cma 12y ago
Tesla could become an auto insurance company that only covers their own cars. I don't think liability insurance is as much of an issue as regulation.
robbrown451 12y ago
How is the liability issue different from a mechanical flaw that causes an accident? Say a tire blowout. Is it the fault of the car manufacturer or the tire maker? None of this is particularly new. I don't doubt laws will slow things down, but there will be a point where it is so clear that autonomous cars are overall safer, that they'll figure things out.
rhino369 12y ago
There is no problem. They both can be. The owner is responsible for the car they put out in the road. The maker (software, hardware, hell even the retailer) will be liable under products liability for any flaws in the design. There will be some debate about negligence and autonomous car crashes. But you don't even have to pass laws. Courts will just make the rules up as they go along. It's the beauty of the common law system. Judges fill in the gaps when new fact patterns are applied. I'm guessing car companies will end up paying for it because they have the big pockets and they can best handle it. I'm not sure there aren't big technical problems still ahead. The stupid Uber app won't stop sending drivers down alleys in Washington DC. LOL at there being a computer driver in the next 10 years.

by ebuth 12y ago

cma 12y ago

Tesla could become an auto insurance company that only covers their own cars. I don't think liability insurance is as much of an issue as regulation.

robbrown451 12y ago

How is the liability issue different from a mechanical flaw that causes an accident? Say a tire blowout. Is it the fault of the car manufacturer or the tire maker? None of this is particularly new. I don't doubt laws will slow things down, but there will be a point where it is so clear that autonomous cars are overall safer, that they'll figure things out.

rhino369 12y ago

There is no problem. They both can be. The owner is responsible for the car they put out in the road. The maker (software, hardware, hell even the retailer) will be liable under products liability for any flaws in the design. There will be some debate about negligence and autonomous car crashes. But you don't even have to pass laws. Courts will just make the rules up as they go along. It's the beauty of the common law system. Judges fill in the gaps when new fact patterns are applied. I'm guessing car companies will end up paying for it because they have the big pockets and they can best handle it. I'm not sure there aren't big technical problems still ahead. The stupid Uber app won't stop sending drivers down alleys in Washington DC. LOL at there being a computer driver in the next 10 years.