Photo: Video screenshot
Ever since the idea of self-driving cars was first uttered, a moral and, probably even more importantly, a legal question immediately arose: who's to blame in case the vehicle crashes while operating autonomously.
If the blame lies with the other vehicle involved, then nothing is changed for the AI-controlled car. However, if it was its computer that mismanaged a situation and caused the accident, then who should pay the bill? The driver for not paying attention, or the maker of the car for putting a faulty system out on the road?
Right now, the former is the correct answer. All manufacturers - even Tesla - make it as clear as they can that the person behind the wheel is responsible for their safety and that of those around them at all times and should be ready to intervene if the situation requires it.
However, things are slightly less clear if there is no accident whatsoever, but the driver was fined instead for "driving too slowly" and using their cell phone while driving. Well, that's putting it nicely, because what DJ Klypso actually did was way worse than that.
The music producer was spotted by a California Highway Patrol driving in his Model S on the 101 freeway with his feet out of the window and, indeed, filming himself with his phone. Would you say that's a convenient position to grab the controls in a situation when every split second counts?
Apparently, a judge didn't think it was a problem after Klypso - Joseph Salim Mourad by his real name - brought "supporting evidence that the Tesla auto-pilot drives 100% on its own, and accurately monitors speed while on the freeway” (via the Blast). Excuse me, what?
It's not unusual for Klypso to try and get himself out of the ticket, and that was probably the only approach that could have worked (try explaining driving with your feet out in any other way), but the judge really should have known better. For one thing, the Autopilot does not "drive 100% on its own." But even if it did, the driver is still required to be able to retake control at any time according to the T&A he agreed to before activating the system, terms and agreements he was clearly in violation of.
The judge should have dug a bit deeper before giving the sentence, which may now act as a precedent for others found in similar circumstances. And people should really stop posting videos like these: nobody thinks they're cool anymore and they might give others the wrong impression over the car's abilities. And some of them might even be judges.
Right now, the former is the correct answer. All manufacturers - even Tesla - make it as clear as they can that the person behind the wheel is responsible for their safety and that of those around them at all times and should be ready to intervene if the situation requires it.
However, things are slightly less clear if there is no accident whatsoever, but the driver was fined instead for "driving too slowly" and using their cell phone while driving. Well, that's putting it nicely, because what DJ Klypso actually did was way worse than that.
The music producer was spotted by a California Highway Patrol driving in his Model S on the 101 freeway with his feet out of the window and, indeed, filming himself with his phone. Would you say that's a convenient position to grab the controls in a situation when every split second counts?
Apparently, a judge didn't think it was a problem after Klypso - Joseph Salim Mourad by his real name - brought "supporting evidence that the Tesla auto-pilot drives 100% on its own, and accurately monitors speed while on the freeway” (via the Blast). Excuse me, what?
It's not unusual for Klypso to try and get himself out of the ticket, and that was probably the only approach that could have worked (try explaining driving with your feet out in any other way), but the judge really should have known better. For one thing, the Autopilot does not "drive 100% on its own." But even if it did, the driver is still required to be able to retake control at any time according to the T&A he agreed to before activating the system, terms and agreements he was clearly in violation of.
The judge should have dug a bit deeper before giving the sentence, which may now act as a precedent for others found in similar circumstances. And people should really stop posting videos like these: nobody thinks they're cool anymore and they might give others the wrong impression over the car's abilities. And some of them might even be judges.
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