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How would an autonomous vehicle handle a flood situation with countless potholes and water up to the edge of the road for hundreds of metres or even kms on both sides and on a road with no breakdown lane either side with a 110km/h speed limit.
Would it slow down approaching a pothole? Any pothole or just the large ones? Would it swerve left into flood water or right into oncoming traffic? Would it know what the oncoming traffic is likely to do and react early enough! Would it break hard and stop at each pothole (perhaps cause a rear collision)?
If there is water over the road would it know by reading the warning signs prior or once it senses the water? Would it know the depth and go through because a car in front went through safely and the water reached half way up the wheel? Would it know the velocity and depth of the flood water?
Would the autonomous vehicle make the same decisions whether it is daytime or nighttime and be aware that food waters over the road are more difficult to judge the depth of a night. (Watching what a vehicle in front does is very useful in one’s decision making even though there is still risk). In fact is it riskier to wait and let flood waters rise or go through at a safe speed taking into consideration vehicle weight and payload, velocity and depth of flood water. Would such a vehicle simply stop half way through if it senses danger perhaps leaving the vehicle in more danger?
Would the monitoring driver react and override if sensing the car had made a dangerous decision or now that he/she has two hands free to use their mobile device would they even know what is happening?
The dynamics of a situation I describe have infinitesimal variations that need a supercomputer to manage and I don’t think AI cars are at supercomputer levels yet.
You say such a situation is unlikely. It was exactly like this Lightning Ridge to Gilgandra particularly the stretch from Walgett to Coonamble recently on the Castlereagh Highway during the flood period late October. That part of the highway has a black spot too for mobile service from any provider so no phone calls or information advisory app monitoring are possible.
If relying on real-time data to make decisions I think not. Flood over water information was at least 2 hours behind and that was around the major towns. This country is too big and does not have enough people and infrastructure to provide real time data in every situation.
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