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Comment by imtringued | Hacker News Reader

>I think I saw an earlier HN thread that suggested that they might put occupants at greater risk of kidnapping because the cars could refuse to take evasive actions that endanger or injure a kidnapper

What alternative would a human take? Would they kill the kidnappers by driving over them?

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I guess that's the simplest one that a self-driving car's software might not approve of. Or intentionally collide with a kidnapper's vehicle, or just make a prohibited turn or run a red light to try to escape.

These scenarios are kind of vague because they don't make it clear whether the self-driving car lets a human driver take over and take full responsibility.

I think a human would drive over a kidnapper. Say your car is bullet proof. A man in a ski mask wielding a machine gun jumps in front of the road and orders you to stop. You refuse, he starts shooting at your car as you get near him (this is why I made your car bullet proof, to keep you alive but unequivocally demonstrate clear and present danger to you). In such a scenario, if your only escape route is over the dead body of the man in a ski mask, I bet a human will take that option.

Wow, where did the machine gun come from!

As this is happening in the future, the gun was probably 3d printed by the kidnapper.

Manslaughter is a likely situation that needs to be addressed in the next Tesla OTA update.

"Would they kill the kidnappers by driving over them?"

Of course, in many countries that would count as self defense (if kidnappers were armed and pointed guns towards your car).

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