Re: Liabilty? No difference!
> all our self driving cars will then start crawling through town at a snail's pace, just in case.
Which brings us nicely to the second part of the unfolding AV saga (part 3 would deal with: what crime has been commited, and where should the offence be prosecuted?).
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Part 2. The ability of individuals to hold up traffic indefinitely would soon need to be addressed - within minutes of the first herd of AVs hitting the streets. We clearly cannot have pedestrians simply walking out to cross the road at will, safe in the knowledge that whatever they do, the AVs will be forced to bend to their will. So what will happen is that people will become subject to much more stringent "jay walking" regulations. Just to keep the traffic flowing.
So it will become illegal to walk in the road just because you feel like it. And just as illegal to cross except when the traffic lights permit. The AVs will enforce this law with their 360° cameras and the police's facial recognition systems.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
