In an ideal world, self-driving cars would not cause car accidents. Unfortunately, this is not yet a reality. This is especially true when individuals do not realize the difference between truly self-driving cars and cars that simply have assistive systems. This is the difference between a car that you can let drive itself 100% and a car that must be watched at all times.
Experts say that some of the recent accidents in self-driving and automated cars have been the result of the driver not understanding the limitations of what they are driving. Read on to learn more about the most recent accidents. If you have been involved in an accident with an autonomous vehicle, whether a truck, bus, or motorcycle accident, then we invite you to contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
How common are self-driving car accidents in California?
One company that researches accidents in California found that there were 34 accidents reported involving self-driving cars between 2014 and mid-2018. Two more can be added to that list, one of which was a Tesla and one of which was a GM.
The Tesla accident involved the self-driving car rear-ending a fire engine that was attending to a crash. The driver in the Tesla said the car was on autopilot when the accident occurred. Despite the fact that the car was traveling 65 miles per hour when it hit the fire engine, there were no reported injuries. The Tesla accident involved a motorcycle rider who was struck by a GM self-driving car and is now suing GM.
What are the options to reduce these accidents?
In Tesla’s cars, the autopilot system does a lot of what would be expected – it is capable of braking, accelerating, and steering in ideal conditions. Other popular self-driving cars, such as those from Mercedes and Volvo, can handle similar actions. That said, no self-driving car currently on the market is meant to be relied on to be entirely self-driving. The driver should be alert and ready to take over when needed.
Tesla has taken steps to try and reduce the number of accidents. For example, they are adding safety technologies such as a system that stops a car if the driver does not have their hands on the steering wheel for a certain amount of time. Other companies are adding things like cruise control used over long distances but can be turned on or off at any time.
The advantages seem to outweigh the number of incidents
The reality is that though there have been a handful of accidents involving self-driving cars, there are many fewer accidents with these cars compared to accidents with traditional cars. Researchers have found that around 90% of car accidents are due to human error. It stands to reason that if the kinks can be worked out, self-driving cars could reduce accidents and deaths. In the meantime, if you are injured in an accident then you know what to do: Contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
