Here’s What You Need to Know About Self-Driving Ubers
If you are in the center of Pittsburgh and request an Uber ride, you may be surprised to find that your driver is in fact not a human. The technology is still extremely experimental, and the 12-square-mile area of downtown Pittsburgh has been, according to The Guardian, “meticulously mapped to within centimeters.”
Until as recently as June, anyone who wanted to be among those randomly selected to get an AV (autonomous vehicle) had to sign an extensive waiver, one that relieved Uber of any liabilities in case of injury or death. That may seem extreme, but since humans crash cars all the time, it seems only natural that we should have safeguards for cars that aren’t driven by people — but were still created by people.
However, Uber now seems more confident in its technology; Pittsburgh passengers are now not limited to Uber friends and family, and they are not required to sign a waiver absolving the company. They can’t even choose whether they get a self-driving vehicle, which is unsettling to say the least. Not everyone is a big risk taker!
But according to The Guardian, self-driving rides are free, so mayyybe that compensates for the involuntary risk? (Not really. No.)
Would you ride in a self-driving Uber car? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t The Guardian; photos via Uber + Getty)