Will this have any effect on other companies developing self driving tech? It sets a very high precedent for fines, and may discourage companies from further working on such tech.
Developing, no, but once companies start releasing vehicles onto our shared public streets I have a lot less tolerance for launching science experiments that end up killing bystanders.
I can understand the argument that in the abstract over-regulation kills innovation but at the same time in the US the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that it’s time for a correction.
I have no tolerance for bystanders being killed in general. If the science experiments kill on average less bystanders I'm all for them, if they don't they should be stopped until made safer.
That's an old argument by corporations against liability. Should they not be fully liable?
It should discourage them from making unsafe products. If it's not economical for them to make safe products, it's good that they go bankrupt and the economic resources - talent, money - go to someone else. Bankruptcy and business failure are just as fundamental to capitalism as profit.
My thought when it comes to self driving vehicles though, is how do you determine what is considered unsafe here. I'm not sure about Tesla's autopilot, but Waymo for example has an excellent safety record that is better than most drivers when you compare the statistics. And yet, they are still entirely unable to avoid accidents, as mistakes and unpredictable situations happen. Maybe we should be considering a self driving vehicle safe if it has been proven to drive more safely than the average driver? It is something I think that should be considered.
Should they compensate the victims of such accidents? Of course. Should they pay out the equivalent of winning the lottery? That seems a bit much.
These product-liability lawsuits are out of control; perhaps this judgement is directionally correct, but the punitive damages seem insane. This reminds me of the lawsuits which drove Instant Pot bankrupt, where the users were clearly doing very stupid things, and suffered injuries because they were able to physically overpower the safety mechanisms on their pressure-cookers.
Almost all of these eye watering fines get reduced in further legal action. This has even happened to Tesla before with their news-making hostile workplace suit.
janalsncm|9 days ago
I can understand the argument that in the abstract over-regulation kills innovation but at the same time in the US the pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that it’s time for a correction.
Zababa|9 days ago
mmooss|9 days ago
It should discourage them from making unsafe products. If it's not economical for them to make safe products, it's good that they go bankrupt and the economic resources - talent, money - go to someone else. Bankruptcy and business failure are just as fundamental to capitalism as profit.
robotnikman|9 days ago
Should they compensate the victims of such accidents? Of course. Should they pay out the equivalent of winning the lottery? That seems a bit much.
nickff|9 days ago
UncleMeat|8 days ago
Almost all of these eye watering fines get reduced in further legal action. This has even happened to Tesla before with their news-making hostile workplace suit.