[Animats]

Tesla is worrisome, but they backed off some on the automation. Everybody else who has Tesla-level autodrive (NHTSB level 2, or lane keeping plus radar cruise control) has sensors to make sure the driver has hands on the wheel, or is at least in the seat and looking forward. Tesla didn't put that in. Hence those scary Youtube videos.[1]

Cruise (YC 14) is just scary. They still have that advertising video online [2] that totally oversells what they can do. All they have is lane-keeping and smart cruise control, like the other entry level systems. It's automatic driving from the "move fast and break things" crowd; they're from web and app startups.

Google is being cautious and testing heavily. But they're spending enough money to test fast, with many cars on the test track. That's the auto industry way of doing things. It takes money, but not decades, to get it right.

The CEO of Volvo has the liability issue right - when in autodrive, the manufacturer is responsible. If you can't accept that, you shouldn't be doing this.

[1] http://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-autopilot-fail-video... [2] http://www.getcruise.com/

[ghaff]

It's hard to come up with examples of consumer tech/products where it's considered just part of the way things are to have an event resulting in serious injury or death even though a properly maintained product was used as directed and there wasn't a clear external factor (e.g. brakes don't work on ice). I suppose some failures due to age. Drug side effects to a degree (but see Vaccine compensation fund). However, in general, such things routinely result in lawsuits in any case.