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Comment by superkuh | Hacker News Reader

2 out of 50 states is technically the USA, I guesss. Hopefully it can pass the driving tests in California and Nevada.

Mercedes takes all legal responsibility for any accidents caused during autonomous operation.

So far, autonomous operation is limited to relatively few situations, but most importantly it includes traffic jams (which is where human drivers quickly lose focus).

I'm always terrified I will doze off without realizing when I'm in traffic jams. There's just so little stimulants that my brain demands going into standby mode.

> "all legal responsibility"

I have a feeling there is enough small print to allow them to wiggle out of most situations.

They are opening themselves up to massive liability even with “fine print” — this is meaningful and should not be disregarded. Just because there’s some super indem clause in their customer agreement doesn’t mean the courts will rule in its favor and not strike it out.

Who will be in line for jail sentences if it comes to that?

The vast majority of traffic accidents does not result in jailtime for anyone involved.

Since algorithms cannot have malice, the only offense left is negligence which for companies usually means a heavy fine and/or legal restraints, maybe prosecution.

California and Nevada are the only two states where the company can legally sell the technology to consumers. The two state DMVs gave Mercedes approval to begin selling the cars last year—Nevada in January, and California in June. Mercedes announced in September its plans to begin sales, but this is the first news of the cars actually reaching consumers.

California being the most populous state is a pretty big deal. I'm guessing the focus on two states is more a result of Mercedes' focus on geofencing/mapping test areas than anything.

It makes sense from the business point of view. A staged release is easier and less expensive to manage.

Well yeah that’s what the name “United States” means - different states in one country.

And each state has its own set of laws. Dunno why this example popped into my head but - back during COVID when we had the first case in the state of Washington, we said “first case in the U.S.”

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