These Self Driving Cars Will Kill Pedestrians Over Drivers

Should self-driving cars protect pedestrians? According to Mercedes...anyone but the passenger might be SOL. Does it make sense? Kim Horcher and Meredith Placko (Host, Writer) discuss!

"When Mercedes-Benz starts selling self-driving cars, it will choose to prioritize driver safety over pedestrians, a company manager has confirmed. The ethical conundrum of how A.I.-powered machines should act in life-or-death situations has received more scrutiny as driverless cars become a reality, but the car manufacturer believes that it’s safer to save the life you have greater control over."

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NerdAlert is a talk and discussion show for the well-rounded nerd, bringing you tech news, gaming, geek culture and more EVERY DAY of the week with host Kim Horcher and friends. Proudly part of the TYT Network.

KIM:

MEREDITH

[Chris_Redpilled]

"We'll protect the ones that give us money."

[Henchman_Holding_Wrench]

Jeremy Clarkson listed his safety priorities once. It's his children, then him, then everyone outside. If you're in the business of selling cars for a profit, you'd be catering to that list too.

[person]

the driver is really the most important.

[jamesbunt]

If a object blocks the self-driving car's way and on the left there is no option to go that way (like on coming traffic), but on the right their is the walk way, I'm assuming they are saying if someone is standing there minding their own business the car will "save" it by running over the pedestrian. But how many times will it make that calculation? What if there is someone behind that person, or 20 people, is this murder machine going just keep going? If there are 2 people in the car, but 10 people in the crowd how can they justify that? Instead they could make in inside of the car safer for collisions, and take their chances.

[RacinZilla]

So... even a Computer will behave like a stereotypical Mercedes driver?

Wonderful, we can now rest peacefully knowing that if machines take over there will be just as much stupidity as if Humans were still around.

[ECPlex]

What would be the point of buying a self driving Benz? Don't you buy a MB to drive it?

[lepraconman]

I think it can't be the other way. If self driving cars saved the pedestrian, someone could murder you by jumping in front of your car. Also, it is not like the car is going to ignore pedestrian life, it will only be in a situation where the accident can't be prevented that the choice will need to be made.

[JustinVoldenCM]

I believe they Developer should save the passengers first and then save as many others after that. Such as if some one jumps out it will try to brake, if no traffic it will swerve, and so on. There are times that there are no good choices so, like if someone falls off there bike into the road in front of you with on coming cars do you hit the bicyclist or swerve into the oncoming cars and risk killing one of them or swerve into the parked cars on the side of the road that may have people there too. how do you choose and can you make that choice in time?

[ashleysmall]

I'm sure they've put a lot of thought into it - at least more than a casual discussion. I'm not going to claim to be an expert on any of this, so I'm just going to go with them and assume this was the best course of action. Someone has to take priority.

[roopjeetsingh]

If u are selling a self driving car which saves the side Walker or other driver in accident ... I wouldn't buy it because I love my life .. It's said wear your oxygen mask before u help others ... I support Mercedes on this. well I may get some flame replies . I braced my self anyway

[jfish]

No one would buy a car that won't protect you

[jaymederrah]

Cars already priortise the driver over others. I would expect a self-driving car to have some sort of sensor that would detect something coming in front of it. It would also have to detect red lights so this sort of thing doesn't happen. The car can do a lot given the technology to prevent accidents, but people are stupid and unpredictable. If I'm going to run out in front of a car, there's already a good chance they won't stop in time. So the onus should be on protecting the driver, because in reality, that's the only person the car has any sort of "control" over.
Of course they should try and minimise damage to others, but in the end, there's only so much a company can do, when faced with the unpredictability of people.

[nayrb]

Yes, I think a moral standard was set for who lives and dies in the past and I don't think a German company wants to be creating an hierarchy of whom is going to be sacrifice by age, weight or any other criteria. Saving the car should be adopted by all manufactures and the swarm will flow until a human f@$ks it up.There were 2713 people killed in car crashes involving large trucks(2012), compared to one death (which is tragic) in a car that was not autonomous. The driver was there in order to correct. If someone set cruise control to 60 and proceeded to run into a brick wall who do you blame.

[cheysshows]

Here in Alberta (Canada) pedestrians have the right of way, but in other provinces they don't. I wonder how that would work with the Mercedes talk.

[Derpalon]

If it's a self driving car then it can't be the "driver's" fault for taking a left turn too soon, unless the AI is just outright malfunctioning.

[Croc]

I'm with Meredith, I'll not buy a car until it doesn't stop for pedestrians. It just needs to avoid other cars.

[TheQasimKhan]

All set up situations aside, the typical reaction of a human being in a life or death scenario is to save themselves, even sometimes in the case of their own children. I've seen this first hand. A program saving you over someone else is no different than what you would do if given the control. Obv the car isn't going out of its way to kill people, its just a "if it comes down to it" type question.

[musicfb]

makes sense to me. if the car is perfect then any accident would be the fault of imperfect pedestrians.

[tecpaocelotl]

So in other words, the Mercedes will do the same as the person was originally doing..

[Danceofmasks]

There's legislation already covering them.
A driver is not responsible for anyone who is in a place they're not supposed to be. That is all.
Don't want to be run over, don't break the fucking law.