They are using autonomous vehicle technology that has been tested for years by the military.
Google is actually pioneering here, using different technology than the military uses (although the military DID devise GPS). Also, the cars on the roads for test cases have only been involved in minor fender benders which were caused by human drivers every single time. Either way, most of your objections regarding the tech can be addressed.
- The vehicle malfunctions and changes course or goes out of control at 70 mph.
Why would it though? We’re not talking about your stove here, we’re talking about a car. Any system which supports life is generally designed with what is called a “fail safe” software design (unless you’re dealing with hazardous chemical releases, such as halon, which require a fail closed design). A vehicle malfunction would most likely result in the car shutting down immediately and coming to a stop at the side of the road.
- The vehicle strikes a deer or pedestrian or avoids hitting the deer or pedestrian and has many difficult scenarios to face. A) It avoids hitting a living being but hits a tree or wall. B) It cannot avoid hitting the deer because it has two vehicles to either side of it. The same with a pedestrian.
None of these is a situation that would be any worse than a human faces now. The difference is that a computer is never distracted when driving, can see through fog, and can communicate with wireless. Let’s take your example of heading towards and obstacle with a self-driven car on either side. My car senses the object and, in less than a thousandth of a second, calculates that it can’t dodge. It sends a wireless signal to the car next to it. That car reacts within a quarter of a second and hits the breaks while my car accelerates and changes lanes. All three cars avoid the obstacle in the road.
Currently, the ability to detect, calculate, make a decision at that speed, and communicate that decision with other vehicles on the road is completely impossible.
- In fog, human operated vehicles can cause a massive, chain reaction crash where the unmanned vehicle may be unable to stop or cannot avoid hitting a vehicle in front of it because it cannot, either due to a car next to it or a wall or a barrier, which, if it chooses the barrier, may force it over into a ravine.
Again, you assume that a self-driven car is limited to human senses. They are not. They can “see” through fog using radar. Cars stopped in fog would immediately begin broadcasting the accident. Other cars would slow down and exit the road, immediately rerouting around the obstruction. No car would react into a barrier either. Self-driven cars are FAR more precise than human drivers, able to drive within an inch of a barrier and not hit it.
- The vehicle’s tracking and/or ‘route following’ equipment fails, and instead of making the next curve, it continues on a straight path, striking anything in the way.
These vehicles don’t actually only function on GPS and nav systems. They actually have light sensors which can detect lanes and radar which can detect objects. Even if connectivity with GPS was lost, the vehicle would have no reason to hit anything, it would probably maintain safe speed in the lane its in and notify the driver to take over navigating
- The vehicle hits a patch of ice and rolls over or changes direction. If this happens at over 55 mph, there may be no time for other vehicles/drivers to react.
Only NASCAR and formula 1 drivers have shown themselves to be better at manipulating brakes than a computer (although independent 4 wheel ABS is better than they are). A computer would be able to make calculations about the perfect amount of steering and brakes in less than a thousandth of a second… a human
can’t do the same. Additionally, the car can INSTANTLY begin communicating with all the other self-driven cars around it, allowing them to react INSTANTLY to get out of the way and avoid collisions. Additionally, the car could digitally flag an icy spot as it passes over it, allowing future cars coming through to avoid that spot.
On the legal front: Who will be held responsible for any injuries, deaths and property damage?
Those are actually good questions. I’m going to assume that if properly maintained, insurance and the manufacturer would be liable. If improperly maintained, or if someone is taking control back from the car, the driver/owner would be liable.
If enough lawsuits are filed, the cars will be ruled unsafe and will be taken off the roads.
That would be a shame, because right now the statistics are that self-driven cars will eliminate 90% of traffic fatalities…
