Leading up the the IET Functional Safety TPN event on 'The Ethics of Acceptable Safety', one area that is topical is the electric cars debate.

How should the car be programmed to act in the event of an unavoidable accident? Should it minimize the loss of life, even if it means sacrificing the occupants, or should it protect the occupants at all costs? Should it choose between these extremes at random? Who makes these ethical and moral decisions or will there always have to be a middle ground with drivers ultimately being responsible for their cars decsions?