I think it's too early to demand higher level of proactivity from driverless cars than could be provided by a person behind the wheel.

We know that level of safety provided by a driver is possible. But higher level is for now just speculative, even though additional sensors exist. You'd be punishing developing technology for not achieving the perfection yet.

But I think we should at least expect it to perform as well as a sober driver. I'm sure the woman would be alive today if there were a human driving the car.

I'm mean, are you really sure or just saying that? I'd be shocked if you were really, literally sure of that alternate outcome in a system as complex as the universe by simply replacing the AI with a human.

Humans don't "see" stuff just because the light is entering their eyeballs. A human driver could have been checking their mirrors, the radio, distracted by another pedestrian on the other side of the road, and or just plane not registered the person. The motorcycle safety course teaches you to not use eye contact as a means of determining that a driver "sees" you. That's right, an attentive driver actively looking for on coming traffic during daylight can "see" right through you.

I'm really, literally sure she would not have been hit by that car had she not walked out in front of it..

Perhaps I drank too much of the LIDAR cool-aid. The woman was 2/3's the way across the high way - she didn't just materialize. What's the purpose of this 360 degree 3D map if the AI isn't using it to avoid a collision?