Self-driving cars will kill thousands...

[pdxgibby]

...of people waiting for organs. While making the roads safer, organ shortages will become even worse.

Self-Driving Cars Will Make Organ Shortages Even Worse - Slashdot

 

[BluestarE3]

Soylent Green
Just save the organs first.

 

[Phil Seastrand]

I'm sure the many people saved by autonomous cars will be sad that they didn't have that crash so they could save someone else's life.

 

[MissAutobahn]

In a healthier world build on sustainable energie and electric cars there also will be less people that need donor organs.

But there might be a chance, Elon can build a machine that makes a machine that produces organs... someday...

 

[voyager]

Time perhaps to grow duplicates, like in the movie "Never Let Me Go"... Will raise issues in itself though.

 

[jbcarioca]

No problem here. The "Organ Transplant Assistance Acts" have long since been passed in IL, IA and NH, which require no helmets for motorcycle riders. Another 28 States have the "Adult Organ Transplant Assistance Acts" which require helmets only for riders of less than 20 or 17 years of age. Because there is no conceivable reason for these laws other than to facilitate organ harvesting I have labeled them as such.
Map of motorcyle helmet laws

However much safer cars become we can count on motorcycles for a continuing rich supply of young healthy organs. Sadly, no State requires helmetless riders to execute a living will allowing use fo organs for transplant or any other medical purpose.

So, onward with vehicle autonomy. The supply is assured!

 

[Dithermaster]

It will take decades before the autonomous fleet takes hold; during that time there will be advancements in medicine that fills the gap (like 3D printed or grown organs). Taking parts out of one meat bag into another will seem primitive.

I thought you were going to point out that even if we cut the death-by-crash by 2 or even 10, there will still be many deaths in autonomous cars. That will take some getting used to! I hope as more cars are autonomous we'll see a drastic reduction due to the network effect (if 1 out of 5 cars is driving safely, the other 4 might "join in" by proximity).

 

[jbcarioca]

It will take decades before the autonomous fleet takes hold; during that time there will be advancements in medicine that fills the gap (like 3D printed or grown organs). Taking parts out of one meat bag into another will seem primitive...
.

Yes, the advances in medicine that directly reduce the need for organs to transplant is amazing. I personally benefited from those advances. As bio genetics and DNA designer treatments progress the transplant trade certainly will decline faster than it already is. The autonomous driving learning curve still reduces accident frequency, if not severity