Hacker News Reader

HNHacker News

Top New Best Ask Show Jobs

Comment by shadilay | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

shadilay·

I imagine they'll be programmed to run over a pedestrian twice if they hit one.

'Driven to Kill - Why drivers in China intentionally kill the pedestrians they hit.'

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/09/why-drivers-in-c...

View on HN

“ Most people agree that the hit-to-kill phenomenon stems at least in part from perverse laws on victim compensation. In China the compensation for killing a victim in a traffic accident is relatively small—amounts typically range from $30,000 to $50,000—and once payment is made, the matter is over. By contrast, paying for lifetime care for a disabled survivor can run into the millions. The Chinese press recently described how one disabled man received about $400,000 for the first 23 years of his care. Drivers who decide to hit-and-kill do so because killing is far more economical. Indeed, Zhao Xiao Cheng—the man caught on a security camera video driving over a grandmother five times—ended up paying only about $70,000 in compensation.”

Interesting to see economics play a life and death role. It’s analogous to the millions of forced gender selective abortions in China due to the experienced lower economic value of girls and the 1-child policy.

I wonder how true that article is

Considering how many outlets have covered this phenomenon and the dearth of videos of it you can find in the dark parts of the internet I'd say it's completely true. Downvoting doesn't make it false either.

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-monday-ed...

Reply on news.ycombinator.com