Self-driving cars may be good or bad (they’re a potential “threat multiplier” for terrorists, it seems) but at the moment they have one good effect: They’re more polite toward bicyclists and pedestrians than cars piloted by carbon-based life forms. Or so says Vox:
When it comes to safety, they have the potential to outstrip human drivers in every way imaginable. Their algorithms don’t get bored, tired, or angry, and their 360-degree laser sensors mean they don’t have blind spots. Just as importantly, they’re seemingly programmed to always err on the side of excessive caution.
As someone who travels mainly by bike — and has experienced countless uncomfortably close passes and near-misses when drivers fail to see me — the idea of riding next to self-driving cars is way more appealing.
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