Daily commutes on the nation's motorways are always a battle against the clock and traffic. And while we all know the laws of the road there are also unwritten rules, signals and means of communicating with other drivers we all understand. Some are on the aggressive side - the frustrated flash of the lights at a lane hogger - while others are more subtle signs of the cooperative spirit we all ultimately have to respect, be that a nod of the head or cheery wave of the hand.
But what if the car ahead is autonomous or driverless? In light of recent events involving a Tesla, Chris944 asked whether a flash of the lights will prompt the driverless car to change lane. Black boxes won't appreciate the subtleties of outside lane hierarchy - uberholprestige as our German friends have it - so may not 'understand' signals and 'body language' we humans all appreciate as instinct. Rightly or wrongly tailgaters are a feature of motorway driving. But how would that apply to Asimov's three laws of robotics? Would the driverless car defer to the potential danger of the close following vehicle behind and move over to 'protect' its occupants?
An interesting discussion - add your tuppence here!