Robotaxis are taking over China's roads. Here's how they stack up to the old-fashioned version.

[Hamartia Antidote]

If an ordinary taxi has an accident, the driver or the taxi company is certainly responsible. However, there is no driver, and the taxi company has not interfered with the operation of vehicles. Why should the taxi company be responsible?

There is another problem. If the vehicle goes left, it will hit one person; if the vehicle goes right, it will hit two people; if the vehicle stops, it will cause rear end collision. Who gives the driverless company the right to choose other people's right to live? This is unconstitutional.

If you buy a new boat and the engine completely cuts out right smack in the middle of a major waterway leading to other boats crashing into you they are going (by default) after you first and your insurance company.

You’ll then have to try and prove you aren’t responsible.

How does that work with boats @Gomig-21

I’m going to assume if you buy a self-driving car you’ll need special hazard insurance to cover your butt.

 

[MH.Yang]

If you buy a new boat and the engine completely cuts out right smack in the middle of a major waterway leading to other boats crashing into you they are going (by default) after you first and your insurance company.

You’ll then have to try and prove you aren’t responsible.

How does that work with boats @Gomig-21

I’m going to assume if you buy a self-driving car you’ll need special hazard insurance to cover your butt.

In other words, you think that the taxi company or the owner of the car should bear the responsibility for the accident, rather than the manufacturer of the driverless car.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

In other words, you think that the taxi company or the owner of the car should bear the responsibility for the accident, rather than the manufacturer of the driverless car.

I’m saying legally they are going to go after the owner of the car first. Whether that owner ends up being ultimately responsible is something else.

If my neighbor hires a company to cut down a huge tree and that tree comes down in the wrong direction and flattens 5 houses. Everybody is going to sue the neighbor for hiring the tree company…who in turn is going to sue the tree company.

So who is responsible is just how you look at it.

 

[Azadkashmir]

 

[Gomig-21]

How does that work with boats @Gomig-21

It's a bit different in waterways and oceans because there aren't exactly what you call "roads". But there sets of marine rules that govern the rules of traveling on the water (such as which type of boat must "yield to another type" such as motorboats must yield to sailboats for obvious reasons and smaller boats much yield to larger ones) as well as there are marked channels leading in and out of harbors and ports and in those you aren't necessarily allowed to "stop" for whatever reason, as in anchored and fishing or whatever. But you can at the edge of the channel, so to speak, and leave the rest of it open.

And in most or any other parts of the waters, it's incumbent on those traveling or moving to actually avoid stopped or anchored boats or distressed/broken down ones since it's considered open waters.

In most cases, it's more so the moving person who would be at fault than the stationary one with boats.

Like this infamous accident. The guy in the moving boat was found totally guilty and negligent for having the boat in autopilot and not watching where he was going. Dude was at the helm but leaning back in his chair with legs up on the helm station not able to see what's in front of him below his boat's bow. Nearly killed 3 people.

 

[Paitoo]

I don't think current provisions of law that govern liability in case of motor accidents is adequate for autonomous vehicles. While law will evolve along with adoption, some areas need to be addressed ab initio by governments.

Barring poor maintenance by the owner/taxi operator, I don't see why the OEM should not be held responsible for the 'mistakes' made by the software. Think of it as Product Liability at a much much larger scale. Even today OEMs can be held responsible for catastrophic failure of their products. It is another thing that insurance and unwillingness to fight legal battles make this very unlikely.

I am assuming that people using these cars are not required to have any knowledge whatsoever about operating a vehicle. If this is not the case, the scenario may change significantly.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Apollo Go (Baidu)

"one of two cities allowing driverless cars without a driver"