Why Are Self-Driving Car Accidents So Complex?

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Car Accidents

Automatic cars are surfacing in the news and on the Internet more than ever. Technology lovers are more than happy about having such amazing features in a car. However, numerous issues regarding self-driving cars still need to be resolved. Accidents caused by inattentive drivers putting their cars on automatic mode are rising in numbers.

If you have been hit and injured by a self-driving car, you may be confused about who is to blame. This is one of the most challenging factors because you cannot recover compensation unless you determine who the liable party is. Hire an experienced attorney to navigate the complex procedures, and click here.

Reasons why self-driving car accidents are complex

  • Manufacturers put the wrong labels on features.

Since self-driving cars are relatively new, there is a lack of laws and regulations to protect drivers. However, many states are starting to pass laws. One of the most common reasons accidents happen is because many manufacturers put the wrong labels, and this error misleads drivers leading them to an accident.

However, it is difficult to establish liability because there has been a debate about whether the manufacturer is responsible for educating the driver about the car or whether the driver should learn themself.

  • They provide a false sense of security.

Due to mislabeling features, manufacturers create a false sense of security for the drivers. For example, Germany banned Tesla’s use of the “autopilot” label and blamed the company for the accidents. In some accidents, the driver would turn on the autopilot feature and move their focus from the road to do some other activity.

This shows that the mislabeled feature created a false sense of security for the driver, who thought they could do other things with the running autopilot feature. However, it becomes difficult to determine liability because the manufacturer may say it is the driver’s responsibility to test the features before using them.

  • Self-driving cars require human attention.

Self-driving or automatic cars still require the attention and focus of the driver. These features were developed to relax the driver and reduce the risk of accidents on the road. However, that does not mean the driver can doze off after putting their car on autopilot.

If the driver was not paying attention, the liability might fall upon them. However, if they were paying attention and the accident still occurred, the manufacturer may bear responsibility. As obvious, determining liability here is difficult as well.