> given choice of driving into large tree, or cyclist, or group of school kids, which do you do?
None of the above. Keep the wheel straight for maximum traction and brake as hard as possible. Fancy last-second maneuvering just wastes traction you could have spent braking.
Well, who knows how they've chosen to train it, or what the failure modes of that training are ...
If there are no good choices as to what to hit, then hard braking does seem to be generally a good idea (although there may be exceptions), but at the same time a human is likely to also try to steer - I think most people would, perhaps subconsciously, steer to avoid a human even if that meant hitting a tree, but probably the opposite if it was, say, a deer.
None of the above. Keep the wheel straight for maximum traction and brake as hard as possible. Fancy last-second maneuvering just wastes traction you could have spent braking.