Zero Fatalities is Zero Chance, Driverless Cars Myths vs Reality

Dr. Lance B. Eliot, AI Insider

Looks can be deceiving, there are going to be self-driving car fatalities

One of the most commonly repeated claims for the advent of AI self-driving driverless cars is the notion that we will be able to eliminate car related fatalities. Sorry to say, the elimination of all car related fatalities is an aspiring goal but quite unrealistic.

An estimated 30,000 to 40,000 fatalities occur due to car incidents each year in the United States alone. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just whisk away those potential future deaths via the miracle of self-driving cars?

Presumably, self-driving cars won’t get drunk, they won’t fall asleep at the wheel, and otherwise won’t be subject to the same foibles as human drivers. Indeed, some of the major car makers are saying that with self-driving cars we will have zero fatalities.

I say bunk. There is a zero chance that we’ll have zero fatalities due to self-driving cars.

My statement of there being a zero chance might be shocking to some of you. It certainly would be a shock to most of the major media outlets. They have bought into the zero fatalities moniker on a hook, line, and sinker basis. Regulators love the idea too. Self-driving car makers love the idea. Anyone that cares about the lives of people loves the idea. It just sounds catchy…