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Comment by brookst | Hacker News Reader

Sounds preferable to a dystopia where AI driven cars are getting into wrecks because they’re overconfident in their abilities.

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The thing about winter driving is that it's just inherently a crapshoot. Sometimes, on a nice morning commute, you hit black ice going downhill and that's that. It doesn't matter that you were going slow, you're still gonna slide and hit something.

I doubt the tech will be immune to that. So it's up to how they manage the fallout from the crashes they end up getting into.

I've been driving in January on a warm (at least in the sun) sunny day and as I went over the top of a large valley and down the other size been hit with heavy snow, same with Fog. You can't even really look at weather reports either.

Crashing after hitting black ice on a hill is a skill issue. Its like skiing, or ice skating, you still have control even though the handling is very different.

Only if you have studded winter tires that are in good condition. Throw in a sprinkling of powder and there's nothing even a professional WRC driver could do.

Another personal favorite is driving on ice with a tiny layer of sun melted water so you can also hydroplane.

I drive 50k miles a year in a snowy area with regular all season tires and front wheel drive. Its completely doable! You just have to git gud, like for real, ice isn't going to change your trajectory so just avoid a spin and you'll quickly reach the end of the ice patch. Anyone can learn this skill. Just spend some time sliding around an icy parking lot at night. Then again. and again. and again.

I've hydroplaned on the motorway many times. It is a big scary but as long as you don't touch the brakes and continue straight you are ok.

I've driven FWD cars in heavy snow and it isn't that bad. You just have to go half the speed you normally would.

It's not really though, unless you're willing to just lie and redefine "unwilling to move at absurdly slow speed for conditions so the pavement can be meticulously inspected" as a skill issue and even then you won't always be able to spot it.

lmao you do it by feel not by inspecting the road

It depends on the hill. Sometimes you should just avoid the hill.

Winter tires also go a long way.

It might be able to recover from a spin with superhuman skill.

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