The car reaction time < smaller than yours it also has a better idea of it's surrounding and I bet could pick a much safer course of action than you in a .5 second time frame.
Accidents won't disappear but I do think that if a child jumps in front an autonomous car (lets say in 5-10 years) then that child has a higher chance to survive than if a human wild be driving that car.
Exactly. An autonomous car can make the decision to swerve into the empty lane next to you much faster than you ever could, if for nothing else than increased situational awareness. The sensors are monitoring a 360 degree view constantly, we are nowhere near that.
I'm interested in hearing how their system is expected to work in adverse weather conditions. I doubt that the LIDAR system would work in rain and snow, ice and other hidden ground features might be a problem, and I wonder how well their radar works in these conditions too.
Accidents won't disappear but I do think that if a child jumps in front an autonomous car (lets say in 5-10 years) then that child has a higher chance to survive than if a human wild be driving that car.