That case was nearly 50 years ago; since that time consumer power has changed dramatically, and so has the availability of evidence. Self-driven cars will record all the variables that they monitor and control, and there will be a blackbox recorder like on a plane, which will be amenable to independent accident investigators, not to say lawyers, so there will be nowhere for the manufacturers to hide.
They have no choice but to put safety before profit. The alternative is no more manufacturer. Because of increased consumer power, thanks to people like Ralph Nader who was so vilified by so many Americans caught up in the corporate lie, manufacturers are far quicker to recall products for much smaller issues, and in the case of software it will be far easier and cheaper to correct it than will ever be the case with hardware. B > On 31 Aug 2015, at 21:30, John <sesso...@earthlink.net> wrote: > > Do you remember the Ford Pinto with the faulty gas tanks? > > http://www.autosafety.org/uploads/phpq3mJ7F_FordMemo.pdf > > Do you think the manufacturers of self-driving cars will be any more > ethical? Will they put passenger safety ahead of profit? > >> On 8/31/2015 3:25 PM, Bob W-PDML wrote: >>> On 31 Aug 2015, at 20:10, John <sesso...@earthlink.net> wrote: >>> >>> According to some, [...] those who deny that it is possible are >>> wrong. >>> >>> http://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-remotely-kill-jeep-highway/ >>> >>> [...] The conspiracy folks [...] >>> >> >> Do you really, really think that the people who are designing this >> stuff are not aware of the risks, and do not spend a lot of time and >> money thinking about this stuff, working through the possibilities >> and the countermeasures? Have you any idea at all of the types of >> people who are involved in designing and validating safety-critical >> software? >> >> Even so, it won't be perfect, but anyone who thinks that the risks of >> the imperfect software coupled with a bloody big Stop! button in >> every car outweigh the benefits of saving upwards of 1,000,000 lives >> per year lost as the result of human errors must be barking mad. >> >> -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
