Technology for self-driving cars is coming. With Google and Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles teaming up to create a large fleet of self-driving cars, it may be sooner rather than later. With that in mind, there is a new question in regards to liability in an accident with a self-driving car. Is it personal liability or product liability?
Some are arguing that self-driving cars that have artificial intelligence could possibly make ethical decisions in an accident. However those decisions could be influenced by the engineers who wrote the software. Patrick Lin, the director of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group, said that companies like Google are “Replacing the human and all the human mistakes a human driver can make, who would buy a car that opts to kill you in the event of an accident even if it’s the most ethical decision? People want a car that looks after them.”
So the question again is who is liable in an accident? The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to release regulations for self-driving cars in July, according to the Detroit Free Press. Mark Rosekind, who is the director of the agency, says that regulation can’t be black and white. Regulations have to evolve and change with technology.
Some states are even questioning changing driver’s license laws. This is in regards to who can have a drivers’ license if artificial intelligence can drive and make safety decisions without human input. What do you think about self-driving cars liability? If you were in an accident with a self-driving car, who should be accountable? Is it personal liability or product liability, the car manufacturer or the car owner? Let us know by commenting on Facebook or Twitter!
Source: ABA Journal
