Make no mistake, the technology for a future in which cars
drive themselves is heading our way at breakneck speed. Some say the technology is decades off while
others think we will begin to see these cars on the road as early as the year
2020. This new technology promises some
great benefits to our society such as fewer traffic jams, fewer accidents,
lower auto insurance rates as well as better fuel economy for cars on the road. But before we can get to this point, whether
or not we have developed the technology itself, our society will have to solve
some very sticky legal liability issues.
Some experts believe that we will solve all the
technological problems of driverless cars and still not be able to put them on
the roads because our legal system will lag behind in preparing for the world
where cars drive themselves. Or that the development of this technology
will grind to a halt because of the lack of clarity about liability
issues. This is because when you remove
the driver from the equation regarding the cause of an accident, you open the
door to so many different parties that the uncertain liability exposure could
stop the very driverless industry in its tracks. Who should get the blame for an accident
between driverless cars? The technology
designer, the parts manufacturer, the highway system, the auto manufacturer or
the car owner or is there someone else who should shoulder this blame?
Right now there are about a half dozen different state
legislatures that are working through these difficult issues
independently. Arizona has considered
and debated some of the issues regarding driverless car liability but at this
time has put no laws on the books. Last
year, California passed a law that directed its State Department of Motor
Vehicles to come up with rules by 2015.
Florida passed a similar law giving its DMV until 2014 to come up with
rules.
Nevada is the state that so far has gone the farthest toward
some type of solution. They recently developed
a 22 page section of rules that govern driverless vehicles. This set of rules licensed Google, Audi, and
auto parts maker Continental AG to test their driverless vehicles on public
roads. These vehicles must first go
through 10,000 hours of testing on closed tracks and the tester has to put up a
$1 million bond to cover any potential liability. After that they may qualify for some testing
on public roads.
One of the problems with trying to make rules about liability
is that we are facing a bit of a chicken and egg situation here. Since we don’t have many of these vehicles on
the road at this time we just don’t understand all of the issues that will
arise. It is hard to anticipate all of
the potential problems that might occur when the technology itself isn’t even
fully developed yet. But the heavy hand of the auto manufacturers
is already deeply engaged in the process.
Their fear is that if they are stuck with all liabilities from any and
all accidents, then the driverless car revolution will never happen. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers was
able to work in a provision in the Florida bill which exempts the auto
manufacturer from liability if injuries result from a modification of a self-driving
vehicle. They tried for the same
amendment to the California bill but were unsuccessful.
In truth, there is great risk in having our many different
states independently trying to develop a patchwork of different laws. In the end, one overreaching federal law will
probably better serve us so that manufacturers and driverless car owners as
well as insurance companies can all know that they are working with the same
sets of rules in every state. At this
time the federal government has been quiet on this topic but with the states activity
here beginning to heat up, it is probably only a matter of time before this
becomes a national issue that the federal government will have to address.
At Clinard
Insurance Group, we feel that eventually driverless will mean lower
car insurance rates for most all consumers.
Whether or not you will miss the silly car insurance ads on TV is up to
you but they will be gone. In the
meantime though, car insurance as well as home
insurance and life
insurance are big budget items for many households. We can help you reduce what you pay while
still getting the coverage that you want.
Our ability to go out and shop the marketplace for the best rates for
your particular situation is one of the big benefits that you get when you deal
with Clinard Insurance Group. We insure
thousands of families all across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and
Tennessee. Give us a call, toll free at
877-687-7557 and let us put our experience and know how to work for you today.
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