Re:Waymo robotaxi hits a child near an elementary school in ...
by BurningFrog on Thursday January 29, 2026 @11:16PM
(#46820464)
Waymo is driving the car and should be held accountable like any other driver.
I assume that's how it works already.
Re:Waymo robotaxi hits a child near an elementary school in ...
by johnnyanmac on Thursday January 29, 2026 @11:55PM
(#46820670)
I hope so too. I'll be keeping a close eye on how they handle this, though. My benefit of the doubt for tech was already long drained, and is especially critical for safety critical industries.
Re:Waymo robotaxi hits a child near an elementary school in ...
by BurningFrog on Friday January 30, 2026 @02:26PM
(#46828750)
I think this is more about the legal system than tech credibility.
That is, I expect that Waymo will be required to pay for accidents they cause, whether they want to or not.
Re:Waymo robotaxi hits a child near an elementary school in ...
by johnnyanmac on Friday January 30, 2026 @02:39PM
(#46828887)
I believe how they navigate the legal system through this will indeed affect their credibility. It's the one channel where you need to be the most honest (if you aren't the government itself), so I hold a lot more weight on that than on PR statements.
That's fine. But crashes are relatively rare and what matters is accountability. Will Waymo be accountable for hitting this kid the way a human would? Or will they fight in court to somehow blame the pedestrian? Those are my big concerns when it comes to self driving vehicles, and history with tech suggests that they love playing hot potato instead of being held accountable.
And yes, better walkable infrastructure is a win for all. The minor concern I have is the notion that self driving is perfect and we end up creating even more car centric infrastructure. I'm not sure who to blame on that one.