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by brag 1802 days ago
People with disabilities like epilepsy, which affects 2% of the worlds population.

If you have uncontrolled seizures, then you cannot drive a car, ever.

Uber, Lyft, and Self driving would be a huge boon to these people, enabling them to live independently and still commute.

2 comments

Well you aren't supposed to, you mean to say. It does sound like a good idea for someone who has just been risking it, to get self-driving as a backup.

Generally if the state finds out you have epilepsy, you'll need to be seizure free without medication for some period of months or more (depending which state), and perhaps need a doctor to sign off, before you can get a driver's license.

I had to stop driving for four months after I had a sudden major seizure episode. Changes to medication also meant not driving for a similar amount of time.

I have not had an event in years, and no longer take medication, but anxiety about driving and being independent is still something I carry with me.

2 out of 3 of those exist already (and cabs before Uber/Lyft). Full self-driving would be great, but that's not what you're doing. You're paying for Tesla's RnD, but aren't seeing the investment upside if it pays off. You're better off just buying Tesla stock or bonds if that's what you believe.
You’re right that Uber and Lyft exist as solutions; I don’t accept cabs as an equally good solution since uber and Lyft’s user experience is way better.

Self driving takes Uber drivers out as the middle man and allows prices to go to 1/5th the current cost; so that is an even better solution, which IMO is a real difference from Current Uber and Lyft.

Yeah, I don’t believe Tesla’s doing self-driving the right way, but I still think the industry itself has a worthy goal.

> I don’t accept cabs as an equally good solution since uber and Lyft’s user experience is way better.

And I consider cabs to be a superior user experience in cities with good cab service to Lyft or Uber. Which is most major cities. I know I put no effort into defending my view, but I put in as much effort as you did.

Self-driving won't drive down the prices of Uber and Lyft. They will cause them to stop hemorrhaging money and possibly even become profitable.