Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars

Re:Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars by melling on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @08:19AM (#13471060)

So, self-driving cars will be limited to about a billion people in the short-term? In the US alone we have about 4.5 million accidents and 30,000 deaths yearly.

Perhaps the rest of the world will see the benefit and adapt to the cars.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars by greeneggs on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @09:36AM (#13471586)

> In the US alone we have about 4.5 million accidents and 30,000 deaths yearly.

More like 40,000 deaths yearly, these days. In 2015, it was 38,300 [1], and it had increased 8% (or 2067 deaths) in the first nine months of 2016 [2].

[1] http://www.newsweek.com/2015-brought-biggest-us-traffic-deat...

[2] http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/traffic-deaths-surg...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars by paganel on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @08:30AM (#13471129)

A stagnating billion people market, both when it comes to incomes and demographics (even though the US is doing slightly better here). AI-run cars would also have to be price comparable to many of the hatchbacks now dominating Western Europe, we're talking about a maximum price of 20,000 euros (with an average purchase price of 15,000). A month or two ago I was told on HN that AI cars are not for people like me, for whom the $35,000 price of a Tesla 3 model was too much (and Tesla 3 is seen as the base, cheap model), so I'd cut a big percentage off of that 1 billion people market you're talking about.

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Re:Unexpected Consequences of Self-Driving Cars by yessql on Tuesday January 24, 2017 @09:46AM (#13471648)

With self-driving it is important to separate owning and using.

[ Parent | on HN ]