For some safety experts, Uber’s self-driving taxi test isn’t something to hail

[FrodosPet]

Oh no! That Frodo dude is posting about Uber AND self driving cars again! When will he get it through his head that humans cannot drive and taxicab people are awful and evil and incompetent, so Uber should have carte blanche to do whatever in the world they want wherever and whenever they want to do it without government interference?
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For some safety experts, Uber’s self-driving taxi test isn’t something to hail

Uber’s unprecedented autonomous-car experiment will launch this week in Pittsburgh, even though Pennsylvania has yet to pass basic laws that permit the testing of self-driving cars.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/for-some-safety-experts-ubers-self-driving-taxi-test-isnt-something-to-hail/2016/09/11/375f980a-769a-11e6-be4f-3f42f2e5a49e_story.html

By Elizabeth Dwoskin and Brian Fung | Sep 11, 2016

SAN FRANCISCO — Uber’s decision to bring self-driving taxis to the streets of Pittsburgh this week is raising alarms among a swath of safety experts who say that the technology is not nearly ready for prime time.

The unprecedented experiment will launch even though Pennsylvania has yet to pass basic laws that permit the testing of self-driving cars or rules that would govern what would happen in a crash. Uber is also not required to pass along any data from its vehicles to regulators.

~ snip ~

“They are essentially making the commuters the guinea pigs,” said Joan Claybrook, a consumer-protection advocate and former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Of course there are going to be crashes. You can do the exact same tests without having average citizens in your car.”

~ snip ~

Even so, the effort is raising concern from safety experts who say the technology has major limitations that can be very dangerous. Self-driving cars have trouble seeing in bad weather. Sudden downpours, snow and especially puddles make it difficult for autonomous vehicles to detect lines on pavement and thereby stay in one lane.

~ snip ~

[frazzled]

1. I can't believe they don't have to undergo any regulatory measures

Regular automobiles can't be put on the market without passing strict safety standards. The federal government is not on the bandwagon on this yet, and Pittsburgh doesn't seem to give a damn.

[CK_John]

2. Do you know Travis Kalanick? He may run for President in 2020.

Some answer to why the new Politicians will be more effective.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/11/technology/no-driver-bring-it-on-how-pittsburgh-became-ubers-testing-ground.html?_r=0

[FrodosPet]

3. I don't know him personally, just by reputation

As I understand it, he is an Ayn Rand fan.

So do you think he will have a lot of support if he runs in 2020? Is America about to go hyper-Libertarian?

[CK_John]

4. I don't know what kind of support he will get but....

Look for a possible Senators Musk, Bezos, Cuban, and Cook. The techno crowd have decided they have to get political to move forward.