Why I Don’t Think Self-Driving Cars Will Ever Really Be a Thing
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People are terrible drivers, but it’s not entirely clear that machines are better drivers. When a person hits someone, it’s not really a big news story. But when AI hits someone, it sure is a big story:
A lawsuit filed last week by a Portland-area man claims a Tesla in self-driving mode blew through a stop sign in Clackamas County and T-boned his car — in one of the first-of-its kind lawsuits in Oregon alleging life-endangering flaws with Tesla’s automated technology.
Michael Ward’s lawsuit states that he suffered fractures to his face, teethand spine when Ngoc Phuong Anh Dinh’s Tesla crashed into the passenger side of his car at the intersection of Oregon 212 with Southeast Sunnyside Road. The suit says Ward was traveling with the flow of traffic and had the right-of-way. He is seeking $745,000.
The suit doesn’t list Tesla as a defendant and, notably, the electric car manufacturer says it still requires drivers using the driver-assistance feature of Autopilot or the less common feature of Full Self-Driving mode to keep their gaze toward the road and their hands on the steering wheel. Autopilot allows the car to steer itself on well-marked roads and comes standard in new Teslas. Full Self-Driving mode costs extra and can steer, accelerate and brake on a variety of roads.
Last week’s lawsuit only names Dinh as a defendant, claiming she was at fault in part for “unreasonably relying upon autonomous vehicle technology.”
I have no thoughts on the merits of the case. But I do know that most people really don’t like the idea of self-driving vehicles and our TechBro Betters are setting themselves up for endless lawsuits here. Not that Donnie cares.