The Smart Car & Safety Expectations
What is expected of the new autonomous driven smart cars? What would you expect if you owned a brand new self driving vehicle? There are at least two sides for what is expected in the realm of safety for this amazing technology. Of course one side expects total perfection. If we build and implement an autonomous "self driving" vehicle, and turn this technology loose on our roads, we expect this vehicle to perform in perfection. No problems, no mistakes and no accidents. Why would we develop a product, load it with all the latest and greatest technology known to man simply to have it perform in a less than perfect way? A less than perfect way that could cause serious accidents and eventually kill people. Allowing such a thing would seem ridiculous. Why would you buy a vehicle like that? Would you allow such a thing on our roads?
The other opinion is - If this new technology can perform better that the current average of "people driven" vehicles, would it not be a better option?
The Statistics
The United States is one of the busiest countries in terms of road traffic with nearly 264 million vehicles registered and 218 million drivers holding a valid drivers license. In 2015, there were 6.3 million fatal, personal injury, and property damage crashes.
Knowing these statistics, if we can develop and build a vehicle that performs better that the average, wouldn't that be a better choice? Some say yes, others disagree.
We seem to have some forgiveness for a vehicle accident if a person is driving. After all - accidents happen. But if the same accident would occur strictly from a hi-tech autonomous driven vehicle, we seem to be more harsh in our judgment. We expect technology to perform at the highest level, almost flawlessly.
This is an area not many of us have given much thought to, but, driver-less vehicles are coming some day. We have lived our whole lives with people driven vehicles. When the shift happens, we will adjust our thinking. New personal injury laws will be written for product liability. Vehicle insurance companies will write the rules for their policies. The court system will hear the cases and make decisions based on many factors. Vehicle safety inspection stickers may be as important as having your drivers registration, proof of insurance and your drivers license.
One question that needs answered is; If you are a passenger in a totally autonomous driven vehicle and that vehicle strikes and kills a person, are you responsible in any way? If yes, why, and if not, who is?
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The Eshelman Legal Group
The attorneys at the Eshelman Legal Group understand that no matter how cautious you are, others may not be so careful, and accidents do happen. So we hope you don’t need to, but if you are in a situation where you need the advice of an personal injury attorney, the Eshelman Legal Group is here to help you. For over 40 years we have been assisting accident victims, and we are here to assist you too... because “We’ll make things right.”
Ask yourself this question… who does the adjuster work for? The adjuster works for the insurance company, they do not work for you.
In all matters involving personal injury it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and file a lawsuit prior to the deadline imposed by the Statute of Limitations. If you or a loved one is a victim of personal injuries, call Eshelman Legal Group LLC, now at 1-800-365-0001. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a Contingent Fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don’t delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires. The above is not legal advice. That can only come from a qualified attorney who is familiar with all the facts and circumstances of a particular, specific case and the relevant law. See Terms of Use.
