[tjoff]

Uber was nowhere near ready for live tests. It's that simple. Relying on human intervention for split-second decisions where no actions are necessary for long stretches of time is pure insanity.

This accident alone demonstrates just how flawed the system is. This wasn't even an emergency situation to start.

[azeotropic]

>Relying on human intervention for split-second decisions where no actions are necessary for long stretches of time is pure insanity.

This is literally how all human driving works right now.

Seriously, look around at other drivers while you're on a freeway or interstate sometime.

They're not driving, they're singing along with the radio, or shaving, or putting on makeup, or sending text messages.

They're not Luftwaffe aces with eagle eyes and steely nerves monitoring the fuel mix and oil pressure while scanning the skies for the silvery glint of the sun off the wings of a P-51 that may herald their last few moments on earth. They're bored people doing their boring commute and even when they have their hands on the wheel they're not really paying attention.

[tjoff]

They still require some attention all the time. A sense of responsibility and for all our faults we are att least selective about when we aren't paying attention.

Yes, humans suck. But that's still orders of magnitudes better than uber.

[parcec]

What's your criterion of being ready for live tests? Under what conditions is loss of innocent life okay?

[rayiner]

A self-driving car is ready for live testing under the same conditions in which it could pass a driver's test, which is the minimum standard for anyone to be allowed to drive legally on public roads.

[azeotropic]

My road test consisted of driving out of a dead mall parking lot (careful to obey the posted 15 MPH speed limit -- this is actually the hardest part of the test!) turn right onto a street, turn left onto a residential cul-de-sac, make a three-point-turn, and return to the mall parking lot.

These cars could absolutely pass that test.