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A comment on Let’s Talk About Self-Driving Cars. Parent comment

Re:Let’s Talk About Self-Driving Cars by alkonaut on Tuesday January 10, 2017 @12:59PM (#13367084)
Until cars are reliably at the highest level of replacing humans along the entire way of any drive (I.e cars don't have drivers seats) then obviously it must be a criminal offense to be the "driver" while drunk, even if the driver was hoping to sleep all the way home. What has happened here is really better: the drunk guy is asleep in a stopped car, rather than asleep in a car that just hit another car.
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Re:Let’s Talk About Self-Driving Cars by _archon_ on Tuesday January 10, 2017 @02:35PM (#13368153)
Interestingly, he can still be arrested for DWI. This would be an interesting case, though, because the mens rea is clearly not present; the human intended to be conveyed by a capable transportation system, and didn't intend or attempt to control a vehicle while in motion. I look forward to the result of this case for legal precedent reasons.
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Re:Let’s Talk About Self-Driving Cars by jpindar on Tuesday January 10, 2017 @09:26PM (#13371255)
You can get arrested for sleeping in a car while drunk, even if you clearly intended to sleep it off overnight instead of driving home drunk. No mens rea needed.
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Re:Let’s Talk About Self-Driving Cars by derekp7 on Tuesday January 10, 2017 @10:04PM (#13371407)
In some states, it makes a difference if your keys are in ignition or not. Which makes me wonder how they treat push-button start cars?

Otherwise, what happens if someone (sober) is giving a ride to a passed out friend, can't wake that friend up, and ends up leaving the car (with the drunk friend still in it)? In that case, everyone involved was being responsible (no drunk driving was involved at all, actual or potential).

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Re:Let’s Talk About Self-Driving Cars by MR4D on Tuesday January 10, 2017 @10:18PM (#13371465)
Simple answer from a lawyer friend of mine: don't sleep in the driver's seat.
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Re:Let’s Talk About Self-Driving Cars by CPLX on Tuesday January 10, 2017 @02:41PM (#13368202)
For what it's worth DWI and its variations are usually strict liability statutes.
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