The Trouble With Self-Driving Cars

Posted August 27, 2024 | Personal Injury Blog

As we stand on the brink of a transportation advancement, self-driving cars are no longer a figment of science fiction. They’re here and being tested on our roads. Manufacturers of self-driving cars claim these vehicles will help people in many ways.

According to one study, driverless cars could potentially reduce traffic accidents by up to 90 percent. This could potentially prevent thousands of fatalities each year by eliminating human error. However, as with any technological advancement, self-driving cars bring both promise and danger.

At Fielding Law, we’re committed to helping our clients understand auto accident laws, including those involving self-driving cars. Today, we’ll explore the pros and cons of self-driving cars, with a particular focus on the challenges they present.

The Promise of Self-Driving Cars

Before we address the challenges of self-driving cars, their potential benefits should be acknowledged.

Improved safety

Self-driving cars are often seen as a solution to human error since human mistakes are the main cause of traffic accidents. One common belief is that self-driving cars can reduce accident rates by removing factors such as:

• Distraction
• Fatigue
• Impairment

Increased mobility

Self-driving cars offer the promise of independence and improved quality of life. 

Autonomous vehicles can make life easier for people who can’t drive, including:

• Elderly individuals
• People with disabilities
• People with visual impairments
• People with medical conditions that prevent driving

Traffic efficiency

Self-driving cars could even help reduce traffic congestion. These autonomous vehicles could communicate with each other and traffic systems, potentially improving traffic flow.

Environmental benefits

Many self-driving cars are designed to be electric. Having more electric cars on the road could lead to reduced emissions, which would no doubt have a positive environmental impact.

The Concerns Surrounding Self-Driving Cars

While these potential benefits are exciting, self-driving cars come with significant challenges, and these safety risks cannot be ignored.

Technology limitations

Despite rapid advancements, self-driving technology still faces obstacles. Autonomous vehicles rely on complex systems of sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence to navigate. 

However, these systems can struggle with:

• Navigating unpredictable situations: Like unusual road conditions, severe weather, or unexpected obstacles
• Interpreting human behavior: Like predicting the actions of pedestrians, cyclists, and human drivers
• Recognizing road signs and markings: Like faded lane markings or obscured traffic signs

These limitations can result in dangerous situations, potentially leading to accidents and injuries.

Cybersecurity risks

Self-driving cars are essentially computers on wheels. This makes them vulnerable to hacking and cyberattacks. 

Potential risks include:

• Remote control takeover: Hackers could potentially gain control of a vehicle’s steering, acceleration, or braking systems
• Data theft: Personal information and travel patterns stored in the car’s system could be stolen
• Fleet-wide attacks: A successful hack could potentially affect multiple vehicles simultaneously, causing widespread chaos

Ethical dilemmas

Self-driving cars do not have consciences. Autonomous vehicles must be programmed to make split-second decisions in potential accident scenarios. 

This raises complex ethical questions such as:

• Should a car prioritize the safety of its passengers over pedestrians?
• How should the car choose between two potentially harmful outcomes?
• Who is responsible for these programmed ethical decisions?

These ethical considerations have a significant impact on legal cases. Without the human factor part of the equation, it can be more difficult to determine liability in the event of an accident.

Job displacement

While not directly related to safety, the widespread adoption of self-driving cars could lead to significant job losses.

Some of the industries that could suffer include:

• Trucking and delivery services
• Taxi and ride-sharing services
• Public transportation

Legal and regulatory challenges

Self-driving cars are being made faster than laws can keep up, which causes legal problems that we don’t yet have answers for:

• How will insurance policies adapt to autonomous vehicles?
• What new traffic laws and regulations will be needed?
• Who is liable in the event of an accident involving a self-driving car?

A key issue is determining blame when a self-driving car crashes. If the driver wasn’t paying attention, who’s at fault? Potentially liable parties include:

• The driver/owner of the self-driving car
• The car manufacturer
• The software developer
• The company that maintains the car’s software

Laws are slow to catch up with new technology, and current federal auto regulations don’t explicitly govern self-driving car operations. This can be confusing for the self-driving car manufacturers, the people buying them, and anyone who might get hurt in an accident.

Privacy concerns

Self-driving cars collect vast amounts of data about their passengers and their surroundings. This inevitably raises serious data privacy concerns. 

People may wonder:

• How will this data be used and protected?
• Who has access to information about my travel patterns and locations?
• Could this data be used for surveillance or tracking purposes?

The potential for misuse of this data is a serious consideration that needs to be addressed.

Interaction with non-autonomous vehicles

During the transition period, which could last for decades, self-driving cars will need to share the road with human-driven vehicles. This mixed environment presents unique challenges. 

There could be difficulty with:

• Communication between autonomous and human-driven vehicles
• Predictions of human driver behavior
• Confusion and misunderstanding between different types of vehicles

This period of coexistence could potentially increase the risk of accidents as the two systems learn to interact.

Public trust and acceptance

For self-driving cars to succeed, they need to gain public trust. However, high-profile accidents involving autonomous vehicles have raised concerns. Many Americans are uncertain about embracing this technological advancement. 

Some existing major concerns are about:

• Giving up control to an AI system
• Lack of understanding about how autonomous technology works
• Safety and reliability 

Getting people to trust self-driving cars is crucial to the industry. If people don’t trust them, these cars won’t become popular or widely used.

Infrastructure requirements

Fully realizing the potential of self-driving cars may require significant infrastructure upgrades:

• Smart traffic lights and road signs that can communicate with vehicles
• High-precision GPS and mapping systems
• Robust 5G networks for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication

The cost and time required for these upgrades could slow the adoption of autonomous vehicles.

Weather and environmental challenges

While self-driving cars perform well in ideal conditions, they can struggle in adverse weather:

• Heavy rain, snow, or fog can interfere with sensors and cameras
• Extreme temperatures can affect the performance of electronic systems
• Unusual road conditions, like flooded streets or icy roads, can confuse navigation systems

These environmental challenges pose significant safety risks. This may be especially true in areas with rapidly changing weather conditions.

How to Navigate a Self-Driving Car Accident

Self-driving cars offer exciting possibilities but also come with challenges and risks. At Fielding Law, we specialize in motor vehicle accidents and are closely watching these developments. The laws around self-driving cars are complex and changing quickly, which may produce new hurdles for accident victims seeking compensation.

If you have questions about how this technology might affect your legal rights, we can help. Our team at Fielding Law stays informed about these new legal issues to make sure we can provide the best representation for our clients.

Don’t face these complex legal matters alone. Contact Fielding Law for a consultation. Whether you’re in Mesquite, TX, or Taylorsville, UT, we’re here to help you understand your rights and options in the evolving world of self-driving car law.