Insurance question

[LongRanger_imp]

Once everyone is driving autonomous vehicles, will liability and collision insurance still be required? If we're involved in an accident, do we just sue the vehicle manufacturer?

[emptysea]

Great question. I believe that the answer will ultimately be "yes", but it's an open question in the insurance industry and legal profession. On the face of it, it would seem that all liability for accidents would fall on the manufacturer, but laws could change over the time it will take for every vehicle on every road to be completely autonomous. Until then, as long as there are human-controlled vehicles on the road, there will be need for liability coverage. Most people that I have talked to about this within my industry seem to believe that this is all a long way off, like 20 years, not 2026 which is tossed out a lot.

Here's an article that was of some interest to me on the subject. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/na...451621.htm

This article points out that autonomous vehicles in the future will not always be operated in autonomous mode. https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/na...451621.htm

I think that it is possible that the auto industry will figure out a way to transfer the liability to the driver of the vehicle or the owner of it. I also think it's possible that automated vehicles will owned by the manufacturer or by some third party fleet management company rather than by individuals. If the liability for injuries shifts to the manufacturer, they may be in better position to control risk by owning the vehicles and just contracting them to an individual. Lots of issues to work out.

I'll be retired by then, I hope.

[flynrider]

In the last few days I've run across four of Google's Waymo autonomous cars. Two of them tried unsuccessfully to merge onto the freeway, and one that I was behind tonight kept hitting the brakes at 65 mph for no reason. The one I saw on Saturday morning actually seemed to be doing pretty well in traffic.

If this is an example of the state of the art, I think it's going to be many years before we have to worry about this

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Humans program the cars, the satellites, the proximity systems, everything. The owner will still be liable. In an accident, the data recorded will be reviewed to find out what happened, and who, if anyone, is at fault.

I mentioned once before that in WSBK, GPS is used to adjust many parameters with respect to suspension, engine braking, traction control, and power mapping. Nicky Hayden had a failure due to a lost GPS signal and crashed. No way is this tech failsafe.

[Houtman_imp]

I personally think that self driving cars are decades away from being reality.
Just think about snow /ice/ dirt etc covering all the sensors and camera's on these cars.

[Rocky_imp]

I personally think that self driving cars are decades away from being reality.
Just think about snow /ice/ dirt etc covering all the sensors and camera's on these cars.

I agree, I'll never see them in my lifetime.

[peterbaron]

Completely autonomous vehicle...not so soon...
Here is one element of it....+many more involved in complete autonomous....
AEB is a supplemental system, NOT a device to override drivers errors ot mother nature....
If you have a vehicle with AEB , please READ owners manual when AEB will NOT work/exclusions...here are a few, in general, for INFORMATIVE purpose ONLY. Each manufacture/car may very::

Even if there is a malfunction
to the brake operation of the
AEB, when you depress the
brake pedal, the brake operates
normally. AEB brake
operation does NOT operate in
certain hazardous situations.
• The AEB is designed to function
above approximately
8 km/h (5 mph) and below
approximately 180 km/h (110
mph).
• The AEB does NOT detect:
- Persons or animals.
- Oncoming vehicles in the
opposite lane or a vehicle in
an intersection.
- Stopped objects.
• The AEB CANNOT detect
objects, when:
- The sensors are covered
with dirt.
- There is heavy rain or heavy
snow.
- There is interference by electromagnetic
waves.
- There are strong radar
reflections.
- Driving in a curve.
- Driving uphill or downhill.
- Driving in areas under construction.
- An object ahead is very narrow
such as motorcycles or
bicycles.
- A vehicle suddenly enters
your lane.
- The camera cannot secure a
clear view.
- The camera cannot catch the
whole vehicle.
- An unusual shape vehicle is
ahead such as a trailer, special
access vehicle or a truck
with unique shaped cargo
- Driving at night, the tail lamp
of the vehicle ahead is missing,
installed on an unusual
place or installed unevenly.
- Coming in or out a tunnel,
where the illumination intensity
is high.

Good luck, have a safe and responsible driving of any vehicle

pb

[Houtman_imp]

There is a good article about Autonomous cars in the March issue of Motor Trend.

[rboe]

They will arrive faster than we think and not fast enough for me. People keep proving they have no business being behind a wheel.

[WRXer_imp]

In any wreck with an autonomous vehicle, the manually driven vehicle will be at fault. Period. It is already happening.