When self-driving cars hit the streets, among other features it is expected that they take pedestrian safety seriously. This hope is illustrated by this couple of anecdotal stories show Google self driving car reactions to a lady chasing ducks on her wheelchair or a cyclist making a track stand.
But what next? After self-driving is supposedly stablished and approved technology, people will probably get back to the trend on posing pedestrian the blame. Ravi Mangla “The secret history of jaywalking: The disturbing reason it was outlawed — and why we should lift the ban” shows it happened in the past. Adoption of self-driving driving cars may be the opportunity window to have people free to walk again.
A similar claim comes from “The end of walking” by Antonia Malchik. When it comes to getting around, sitting apes have the high ground on the standing ones. It should also be noticed that such anti-pedestrian behaviour is growing among cyclists as well. Even if cyclists are in general much more civilized than car drivers. But so were drivers in automobile early days as well…