[William May]

The thing people forget about these self-driving cars, is that this accident will correct this problem in EVERY self-driving car, as the software gets updated. If it had been a regular car, only one person (the driver) would have learned anything. With self-driving cars, by the next morning after analysis, this data will be uploaded to EVERY self-driving car.
When self-driving cars are common, all accidents, and drunk driving accidents in particular, are going to drop to miniscule levels. I plan on buying a self-driving car as soon as they are developed sufficiently. I just consider how my mom's life would have been changed if she had had a self-driving car. She was blind, and was limited to activities when I was off of work. She could have been active every day, with her friends, traveling, etc. She was healthy as a horse right until she died.
Self-driving cars mean freedom. Freedom from accidents, Freedom from restrictions on what you can do.
When they go into production, they aren't even going to have steering wheels. Or a dash. Or anything else that they have now.
Instead of a heated steering wheel option, you will pick the wide-screen TV option, or the Espresso maker option, or the "Concert Hall" option.
Don't blame the lady driving the car. The car's programming failed. Even though it was dark, the systems should have seen the crosser long before the car got there. It should have been a non-event. But it wasn't. They will find out why and fix it.
As far as I know, there have been 2 deaths from self driving cars.
A. The guy in Florida (who was a self-driving car booster) that ran into a truck because of a system problem.
B. This lady, killed crossing the road.
There are a LOT more deaths EVERY DAY from NON-self driving cars.
I will still drive my antique cars on tours. But for regular transportation, a self-driving car will be the way to go.
Say you are on a trip and have a medical emergency. With a self-driving car, you will just push a button, and go to the nearest hospital. You don't need to know where it is, or how to get there. All you have to do is push the "Medical Aid" button. You could do CPR on your loved one while the car takes you directly to a hospital. Want a particular meal while you are traveling? Pick a meal, or a particular restaurant. Your next stop will be at that place. You don't even have to know the place existed.
Eventually, most people won't own cars. There will be community cars that are stationed in your neighborhood. You will climb in, scan your card, and go.
Parking companies have already seen a 25% DECREASE in parking, due to Uber, Lyft, and other ride sharing apps. And they are just getting started.
Eventually, semi-trucks will be self-driving as well. Want to be a truck driver? You can be! And you can stay at home and watch "Gilligan's Island" while your truck hauls stuff from one place to another. You'll be sitting at home while your vehicle makes you money. You'd better hurry if you want to get into the freight game! Peterbilt is working on self-driving semis, and Walmart and other companies are already ordering them. (I think Walmart has 100 on order now)
Imagine you need to move your apartment furniture to a new place, but you only have a motorcycle. No problem! Scan into a pickup, it will arrive at your place, you load it up, and off you go. When you are done, the pickup truck drives away. No spending 2 hours to go pick up the truck, and then another 2 hours to take it back.
I'm a big auto enthusiast. I have a bunch of cars dating back to 1914
But I am really looking forward to this.
Self-driving cars are really going to be a boon to people. Just wait and see.

[SimoneFlen']

In the news:

"The family of the woman killed by an Uber Technologies self-driving vehicle in Arizona has reached a settlement with the ride services company, ending a potential legal battle over the first fatality caused by an autonomous vehicle.

Cristina Perez Hesano, attorney with the firm of Bellah Perez in Glendale, Arizona, said "the matter has been resolved" between Uber and daughter and husband of Elaine Herzberg, 49, who died after being hit by an Uber self-driving SUV in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe earlier this month.

Terms of the settlement were not given. The law firm representing them said that Herzberg's daughter and husband, whose names were not disclosed, will have no further comment on the matter as they consider it resolved."

*Further in the article there's a quote that I found rather amusing: "Other footage showed the human driver who was behind the wheel mostly looking down and not at the road in the seconds before the accident." - It's like they just put 'human' as they couldn't tell if it's a man or woman!

[Azimuth]

Originally Posted by bgottschall ↗

Dude becomes a chick and BOOM, instantly can’t drive!

[Praamsaga]

The pedestrian did not come out of nowhere. If that fat ****** would have been looking ahead versus looking down, perhaps a life would have been saved.

[LrlynJy]

In Philippines, most names that ended in letter "A" is a female name. Many of our customs in naming a child came from Spaniards when they connected with our country a long time ago. (Rafael = Male Rafaela = Female), ( Michael=Male Michaela=Female), (Roberto = Male Roberta = Female)....

But that person looked like a guy so there lies my confusion.

[icehole]

well, it was unfortunate