A sinkhole (named "Steve"?) just opened up in a highway near Oakland, CA. Initial photos showed a hole a couple feet across. Manhole-sized. Repair crews later found that under the asphalt the sinkhole was large enough to swallow a car. Human drivers recognized that something was amiss and avoided the hole. Would a self-driving car?
Let's put "ability to detect solid road in front of car" near the top of the requirements list. Whether it is a pothole, sinkhole, missing manhole cover, or missing bridge, it needs to be a mandatory requirement. From what I've seen of LIDAR imaging it seems like it is possible.
