Hacker News Reader

Comment by 3498q2 | Hacker News Reader

Many people don't drink and drive either. You can drive defensively, choose your own route.

Even on two lane roads: if an idiot overtakes into oncoming traffic there is usually just enough space for three vehicles next to each other. Can a Waymo move sharply to the right so there are two cars on each side with the overtaking idiot in the middle and all just fit on the road? I had to do that maneuver at least twice.

Can a Waymo prevent a carjacking when someone places traffic cones in front of it?

Can you open the Windows and get out if the thing decides to drive into a lake?

I don't know, currently defensive driving is the better option.

View on HN

Its funny because (at least years ago) accidents would get posted on /r/idiotsincars , and like clockwork everyone would pile on the idiot in the car.

However sometimes the dashcam would be from a motorcyclist, and the video would get posted over in the motorcycle sub as well. There, no one would talk about the idiot, and everyone would shred the motorcyclist for poor defensive driving.

The takeaway is that most regular drivers think that they are totally powerless on the road, and have no ability to avert any situation arising from someone else.

Motorcyclists die if they don't learn this skill, so they tend to be pretty sharp defensive drivers.

> Many people don't drink and drive either. You can drive defensively, choose your own route.

Few people drive defensively. I try to, but I'm human: I get distracted. I sometimes forget to follow the rules that I know well. I have no clue what new rules might have been added/changed since I took drivers ed years ago. Just like everybody else.

I can't do anybody about the guy who tailgated me today until there was just barely enough of a gap to get around and then he swerved over, but one mistake on his part... At least I was in a newish car which would protect me, if it wasn't supposed to rain today I'd have been on my bike in that area...

> Can a Waymo prevent a carjacking when someone places traffic cones in front of it?

Yes, actually, that's an advantage of a Waymo over a regular car. I believe they have a perfect record against carjackings despite several theft attempts. The Waymo computer isn't easily intimidated at gunpoint.

What do regular drivers do during a carjacking? They get carjacked. There are about 30,000 incidents per year in the US.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com