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Comment by tokenizer | Hacker News Reader

Regardless of how bad I or someone driving around me is, I would rather have complete control. If I'm going to relinquish that control, then the alternative better be superb. This is one of those paradigms where we need software engineering to be flawless, which history can tell us, is never the case.

Not disagreeing with you just offering an opinion which is more centered and cautious.

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If you have ever been a passenger in a car, you have given up that control to an entity which is likely far less safe than the software option. (still need to see the data this was based on)

Yes, you've given up control. But you've traded it for trust. While Google's cars may have a flawless record, trust is an emotional thing. It's a long slow road for self-driving cars to earn our trust, even if they should already deserve it.

Thanks for understanding what I was trying to say.

I'd personally like to have complete control... but it's balanced by the fact that I'd rather most of the other drivers I encounter not have that control.

Mostly people look at self driving cars in the light of "Would I be better driving my vehicle?"

I like to look a it from the other direction "Would I be better if everyone had a self-driven car?"

Everyone around you would rather you didn't. Where should your liberty end when it puts others at risk?

I'm not sure I'd describe preferring control over safety would really qualify as "more centered and cautious".

I understand that a lot of people are more concerned about control than safety (e.g. tons of people who are more afraid to fly than to drive, even though it's vastly safer), but it's a clearly irrational preference.

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