ichivictus

Radar technology has the capability to detect emotions through car's windshields better than humans. It can detect behavior like you mentioned through that and how erratic the car's movement is. A great advantage of this is that it can detect a drunk driver quicker and more accurately than us human drivers. A Google guy mentioned this in one of their blogs in the past. So let's say a driver is about to cut you off, the car's AI probably already knew and made enough room to react. In the case it didn't, it will sense being cut off right as it happens and make the best decision it can calculate in that second. A second of thinking to a computer specialized in just driving is still going to be better than us. It knows how quickly it can brake before spinning out. It knows if it can go into the right/left lane or the side before hitting the rail. It knows to honk quicker (most humans don't honk).

With your second concern, that's a good question. First and foremost, a self-driving car is driving based off of what it physically senses via radar tech. If it senses the radar system is failing, it may be programmed to turn on emergency radars to simply pull to the side of the road and you or the car will call for help. The companies have billions of dollars and they make sure issues like this is covered before releasing the product. Governments also regulate the car industry and hold them to high standards so things like this don't happen.

Some of this may not be implemented right now, but that's why it's not coming out till 2020+. Lots of work to be done, but it will be. I may also be wrong about the above. I am only a CS student with immense interest in autonomous vehicles and hope to build a career around em. Also check out these relevant subreddits!

/r/selfdrivingcars /r/futurology

This is why I like to actually fill out those surveys at the end of calls. Most people that do are angry dissatisfied customers, but I attempt to balance it because I know what it's like to work dead-end jobs just to get by.

I too am curious how the business works.