Uber made national news in March after a pedestrian was struck and killed by a self-driving Uber vehicle in Tempe, AZ. Uber’s self-driving vehicle was a Volvo XC90 SUV and was equipped with an autonomous mode and sensor system. Since self-driving vehicles are in research and testing phases, there was a driver in the vehicle. However, the driver was not able to stop the vehicle to prevent the incident. The vehicle’s dash cam showed the pedestrian walking their bike across a street at night. The vehicle was traveling at 40-mph in a 45 –mph zone and did not slow down before striking the pedestrian.
Self-driving vehicles are said to be able to detect obstacles, including individuals crossing the road, by utilizing sensors placed around the vehicle. The sensors work by detecting obstacles and individuals up to hundreds of feet away and should work at night. Tragically, those sensors failed and investigations are underway to determine if Uber’s self-driving car was at fault for the accident.
This accident speaks to the fact that a stronger effort needs to be placed on companies creating self-driving vehicles. There are major logistics and accountability protocols that need to be discussed not just from a technological disposition but from a legal one, as well.
Self-driving vehicles will drastically change transportation and diminish many of the reasons individuals cause vehicle crashes. Computers don’t get distracted or drive drunk, and they can easily adapt to inclement weather changes such as snow, rain, and fog. However, as self-driving vehicles reshape the transportation landscape, many automotive manufacturers may not want to be held responsible for accidents. This brings up a major legal issue regarding liability.
Automotive manufacturers would be taking on substantial liability if the self-driving car they sell has a flaw in the software that leads to an accident. Computers may not get distracted or drunk, but software malfunction or even a hardware virus could lead to some precarious situations and accidents.
The future is still unclear for self-driving cars and even when they are adopted into the mainstream, legal issues will need to be thoroughly evaluated and considered. Additionally, traditional cars will still be mixed into the traffic.
The most imperative aspect we can communicate as legal professionals is that if you are involved in any type of automotive accident, take the time to find the right legal representation for you.
At Gropper Law Group, we have several years of helping clients with their injury claims that came as the result of an automotive accident. Call our office at 212-366-4600 for a consultation.