Tesla in Seattle-area crash that killed motorcyclist was using FSD system

In practice a certain amount of checking out on aircraft autopilot is arguably tolerable; the operator generally has _some_ time to react to something happening. Cars aren’t like that.

Aviation is an exception because everything has autopilot, and so it is MUCH easier to predict what others on the road are doing. If every car is self driving and can communicate, then things like random braking etc aren't an issue, cars can communicate stuff like this in advance.

Marine traffic and aviation are very different environments from where cars operate. You do have lot more reaction time, lot less traffic and hazards are often static and visible long way away. And in scenarios where they are not, well I hope lot less blind trust is put in.

Commercial aviation is a little different in that on an IFR flight plan (which encompasses pretty much the whole time the autopilot is active), ATC is maintaining a 3 mile lateral bubble around the aircraft, making sure that there are no conflicts. So even though the pilot may not be as engaged in see-and-avoid behavior (which is the primary responsibility during VFR), there should be no risk of mid-air collision.

Aviation practices are very much about ensuring that there are extra layers of protection that should all prevent an accident, that even if one fails the others continue to maintain safety. ATC, autopilot, pilot, TCAS, etc. Contrast this with automotive practices, which seem to be about achieving the minimum amount of safety possible.

> I realize commerical aviation is a bit of an exception

If flying in free air had the same number of variables as driving on oddly shaped roads filled with oddly shaped vehicles and obstacles and the occasional people crossing where they shouldn't, we'd have an air crash every hour. A flock of pigeons usually isn't fatal for an airplane engine, now imagine flying surrounded by people testing their new jet backpack. I'm 100% convinced we'll send someone to Mars a lot before we'll have safe self driving vehicles.

But.. It has been here for many years, overpromising, under delivering at full price. And all it did was ride the coat tails of the tonystark "still relevant"fantasy of men everywhere. No,the world is already carved up, nobody gets a slice by wits alone unless already owing a bone. Meanwhile waymo quietly walked the walk..

No buts,no ifs,just a stif

FSD is terrible and shouldn’t be road legal. The FSD caused the accident regardless of how a human looking at the road would’ve performed.

> I would like to know how a human would have performed

Well, his vehicle was the only one on that busy highway that afternoon that "lurched forward while accelerating" and crashed into the motorcycle in front of him, so I think we have the answer to your question.

I think it'd also be worth comparing it to cars that have more basic collision-avoidance.

I don't expect Tesla's FSD to be perfect. But I do expect it to not be worse than the simple and effective collision avoidance that nearly all new cars have.