[feefie]

On 26 Sep. 1982 in 'Knight of the Phoenix' when Michael falls asleep KITT automatically takes over.

Google should have a camera pointing at the driver and use machine learning to detect someone that is asleep or medically impaired and automatically take over if the car starts to leave its lane.

Perhaps the driver could configure where it wants the car to go in such a case (if asleep: continue to final destination; if medical issue: drive to nearest hospital and call "Parent" or "Spouse" on cell phone and explain the situation; if smart watch can detect alcohol in your sweat therefore unconsciousness likely due to intoxication: drive to a trusted friend and call ahead, etc.).

At the very least, if the person appears to be asleep it could ask "Are you sure you want to return to manual control?". It should be able to tell the difference between someone sleeping and someone alert wanting control back.

It's been some decades since fiction inspired us, but we're getting close!

[andrewflnr]

Maybe later, but there are an awful lot of fuzzy heroic heuristics in there. For now, I'd say the only safe thing to do when the driver falls asleep is come to a safe stop.

[Aeolun]

A safe stop on the highway?

[andrewflnr]

Under the circumstances, I'd accept just slowly rolling to a stop with the hazard lights on. People behind the car will hate it, but probably no one will die.

[erezyehuda]

Sadly, I can still imagine someone crashing into a static car on the highway. I can imagine normal-speed continuation, mid-lane stopping, and attempting to navigate to the side of the road all seem to have some pretty heavy risks. I do wonder if a low-speed continuation would be in any way suitable.

[garmaine]

A "safe stop on the high way" means the side of the road in normal everyday context. That would be appropriate here, no? Highway patrol would check out the car pretty quickly.

[erezyehuda]

Getting to the side of the road seems like it could be pretty risky for current autopilots, though perhaps things are further ahead than I know.

[ucaetano]

This is a test vehicle. Actual Waymo "production" cars don't even have drivers.

Humans are the weak link.

[ipsum2]

> This is a test vehicle. Actual Waymo "production" cars don't even have drivers.

Source? The Waymo cars without steering wheels are just a concept design, not used in production.

[mrep]

Source for Waymo cars without a driver in the steering seat (OP never mentioned "without steering wheels" cars): https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/7/16615290/waymo-self-drivi...

[AnIdiotOnTheNet]

Wow but that's overengineered. Just put a dead-man switch in the steering wheel.