Who Would Want To Drive Like That

As I've said, I think the direct focus on safety issues with autonomous vehicles is misplaced. If they work, they'll be safe enough. They aren't really distinct, they're part of the same concept. Sure in our robot car overlord future there will still probably be accidents, but there are accidents now. The public might not react to those accidents in quite the same way, but if the robot cars work they won't really be any less safe than human drivers (I do think a distinction needs to be drawn between cars the accidents themselves get into and the possibility that their driving patterns cause other accidents around them). Still if they work enough to be practical and useful, they'll be safe enough.

But this type of thing isn't "working."

Uber told Wiedenmeier that it is requiring drivers to disengage from self-driving mode when approaching a right turn on a street with bike lanes. Meanwhile, the DMV told Uber to stop testing its vehicles on the streets.

People always say "oh, well, if it works 98% of the time and then every now and then the cars needs the driver to step in then that's good enough." No, that isn't good enough. There isn't time for me to switch from taking a nap or texting my pals to taking over when a bike lane appears suddenly, unless I'm paying 100% attention. And no one is going to pay 100% attention in a "self-driving car" because what's the point.

Also, too, impound the damn things. They'd impound my car if I kept driving it illegally.


...and Uber is going to take their ball and kill cyclists elsewhere.