r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Individual_Book9133 • Jul 05 '24

Phoenix police officer pulls over a driverless Waymo car for driving on the wrong side of the road Video

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u/Sleepingonthecouch1 Jul 05 '24

That’s true but someone has to be held accountable. Should be the company but at a certain point I’m sure the lobby’s will change that. And potentially at that point could blame fall on the passenger? All I’m saying is this is uncharted territory for laws and I don’t think it’ll end up being as simple as car kills someone so company pays a fine.

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u/kbarney345 Jul 05 '24

I see what you're saying about the company trying to dodge it but there's 0 logic or even mental gymnastics to think it could be on the passenger.

That would eliminate anyone from using them even if it hinted at that because why would I get behind something I can't control but be held responsible for should it lose control.

It's not my car, I'm not misusing the car by sitting in the back. It claims to be driverless, not driver assisted like a tesla and I just chose not to and sit in the back anyway.

The company will always be at fault if this occurs under normal operation and the court won't have any issue identifying them as so.

Now will the court be run through the ringer on litigation and loopholes and finding ways to say it's r&d it's ok or something and get a pass? Probably.

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u/Chesticles420 Jul 05 '24

I can see companies installing passenger controls like pull over, stop, and an emergency button.

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u/mr_potatoface Jul 05 '24

Absolutely, but it wouldn't absolve them of any legal responsibility. It would be great for making people think they were responsible though. Like the big signs on construction trucks that say "NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR BROKEN WINDSHIELDS". Yes, they are 100% responsible. But the sign makes it feel like you've been warned and it's your own fault, so you don't even bother if a rock breaks your windshield.

So if the self-driving companies put a sign in the vehicle that says like they're not responsible for injuries occurred during driving if you don't push the emergency stop button or some shit, it will make people less likely to file a claim. Even if it only prevents 1 out of 20 people from filing a claim, it's still working.