Self-Driving Vehicles

Since 2015, the emersion of concepts for self-driving cars have been all the rage across the nation. These vehicles contain electronic devices that help guide them through streets of a city by using real-time cameras, side view guidance systems, touch-screen dashboards, and a smart-wheel that minimizes distracted driving habits. Many manufacturers believe that these vehicles will hit the markets in 2020. CES, Kia, Audi, Bosch, and more have already revealed completely autonomous concept cars that they believe will be available within the next few years, so faster than you may think!

Some of the downsides of these vehicles is the fact that they may not be as high demand as companies would like to think as well as carrying an extremely hefty price on the market. In fact, a survey in 2015 concluded that only 50% of the driving population wants a driver-less car. Many people prefer a car that they feel they have full control over and it may be hard to move others on this fact. Price is an issue because these vehicles have processors with the power of about 150 MacBook laptops, putting the price tag around $200,000. Many manufacturers are working on lowering these prices; however, we don’t know what is in store for the future. Of course, then there is the issue of autonomous car accidents and insurance issues. Who is going to be found at-fault? What policy would cover you if your car was infected with a virus, just like any computer? These are all things that need considered before autonomous vehicles hit stores.

Google’s Self-Driving Car Accident

The Google Self-Driving car was at the forefront of another accident in the industry recently. However, as with the other 14 times since the project started in 2009, it was the fault of the humans and not the vehicle itself. The vehicle found itself in an intersection and the light was green, but the traffic congestion meant that the Google car as well as two vehicles in front of it could not make it through the intersection in fears of blocking it. The driver of a fourth car, however, did not notice the stopped traffic and plowed into the back of the car without braking. Both people in the accident were fine except for minor whiplash. At this point in time, Google self-driving cars are riving about 10,000 miles a month, which is about the amount of a typical U.S. driver in one year’s time.

Though they have not yet been at fault, self-driving test cars are involved in crashes at five times the rate of other vehicles. However, there are only about 50 of these autonomous cars on the roadways in California as opposed to the high rate of 269 million conventional cars on the roadways of the nation in 2013. Autonomous cars are often traveling at slow speeds and no accidents have been reported from them going haywire on their own. Humans are always on board in case something goes wrong. The fact is: accidents will always be happening on roadways, no matter what type of vehicle you are driving.

For all of your car accident needs, contact an attorney who will work with you to get you the compensation you deserve. At Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi we care about your case!