The autonomous car revolution is quickly approaching and with that comes the question of who would be liable if an accident were to occur. Volvo has stepped up and said that they will accept full liability.
In an effort to move forward with autonomous driving legalities, Volvo has committed to accepting responsibility for accidents that involve an autonomous car, due to technological issues.
Currently, one of the issues plaguing this debate is the federal guidelines surround the testing and certification of autonomous cars. All car manufactures are pushing to have this legislation passed so that the technology can be readily available to consumers by 2020. Volvo addressed these concerns in a recent press release. Volvo Cars, president and chief executive, Håkan Samuelsson explained:
“The US risks losing its leading position due to the lack of Federal guidelines for the testing and certification of autonomous vehicles...The absence of one set of rules means car makers cannot conduct credible tests to develop cars that meet all the different guidelines of all 50 US states. If we are to ensure a smooth transition to autonomous mobility then together we must create the necessary framework that will support this.”
Hopefully, federal guidelines can be adjusted to allow for continued research and testing. Considering 90 percent of all car accidents are caused by human error, autonomous cars will lower the number of overall accidents. Technology isn’t perfect however; Volvo stands by their product and was one of the first car makers in the world to accept liability for their autonomous driving cars (in the case of an accident).
We will continue to update you on how this autonomous car revolution develops. It is hard to imagine that autonomous cars may be available to the masses in just four short years! Youngs Insurance will keep you informed on how this technology will affect you and your insurance!
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