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by erobbins 3062 days ago
> Humans are terrible drivers.

Compared to what? We have some evidence that computers can do better in tightly controlled scenarios (limited access freeways) but that's always been low hanging fruit.

I think humans are pretty good drivers, actually. How many 2 lane undivided roads do people go zipping down all day, every day, with very few accidents? A ton. We're also very adaptable and good at handling outlier situations.

2 comments

Sober, rested, humans are great drivers.

The problem is that we also a bit too good at creating outlier situations (stoned, drunk, exhausted, angry at X Y or Z).

Some just aren't good drivers when sober and rested - I've met many, and they let anyone with a pulse get a driver's license and even if you don't have one you're free to operate a motor vehicle all you want, nobody stops you from turning the key.
Sober, rested, focused humans.

We're also bad at maintaining constant focus for longer periods of time.

> Compared to what?

Compared to the potential machine driver. Yeah, one may say it's comparing reality to a dream. But it's a fact that humans have a ceiling on reaction time, focus and input processing, and machines of today all operate at levels much, much above that ceiling. That machines can be made to drive safer than humans is an extrapolation made pretty much of simple logic steps.