Recently, California made headlines when a future law was proposed that would make all driverless cars immune from traffic tickets. This proposition comes as a huge relief for tech giants like Google who are heavily invested in the development of automated vehicles. However, the law also opens up a slew of questions regarding safety, regulation, and the consequences of using driverless cars on a wider scale.
To begin with, the law addresses one of the critical issues with driverless cars, namely legal liability. According to the proposed law, violations of traffic laws by driverless cars will be considered to be the responsibility of the owner, not the driver. This means that any accidents or other violations of traffic laws will be indirectly paid for by the companies that produce and own these driverless cars.
This provision does have a major flaw, though. The companies creating these cars will have no incentive to make robust safety measures to protect their passengers or other drivers on the road. This could open the door for companies to cut corners and make their cars more effective off the roads and less safe when in use.
Furthermore, the current laws also set a precedent that could lead to further leniency when it comes to enforcement of traffic laws. This could have the effect of encouraging irresponsible, unmindful behavior when it comes to the use of driverless cars, further increasing the risk of accidents and other harms.
Finally, while it is true that the discussed law would absolve the tech companies from any potential legal liabilities, there is no solution for dealing with the ethical implications of driverless cars. For instance, who should be held responsible in the event of an accident or careless driving by an autonomous vehicle? Should it be the operating system, the owner, or the manufacturer who should take responsibility for the incident? These are questions that need to be addressed for driverless cars to be safely utilized.
As new technologies continue to revolutionize the automotive industry, it is important to carefully consider the implications and risks that come with using driverless cars. This is particularly necessary in addressing legal liabilities and ethical considerations, so that when driverless cars become mainstream, there are legal regulations in place to ensure their safe use in public and private areas.
Recently, California made headlines when a future law was proposed that would make all driverless cars immune from traffic tickets. This proposition comes as a huge relief for tech giants like Google who are heavily invested in the development of automated vehicles. However, the law also opens up a slew of questions regarding safety, regulation, and the consequences of using driverless cars on a wider scale.
To begin with, the law addresses one of the critical issues with driverless cars, namely legal liability. According to the proposed law, violations of traffic laws by driverless cars will be considered to be the responsibility of the owner, not the driver. This means that any accidents or other violations of traffic laws will be indirectly paid for by the companies that produce and own these driverless cars.
This provision does have a major flaw, though. The companies creating these cars will have no incentive to make robust safety measures to protect their passengers or other drivers on the road. This could open the door for companies to cut corners and make their cars more effective off the roads and less safe when in use.
Furthermore, the current laws also set a precedent that could lead to further leniency when it comes to enforcement of traffic laws. This could have the effect of encouraging irresponsible, unmindful behavior when it comes to the use of driverless cars, further increasing the risk of accidents and other harms.
Finally, while it is true that the discussed law would absolve the tech companies from any potential legal liabilities, there is no solution for dealing with the ethical implications of driverless cars. For instance, who should be held responsible in the event of an accident or careless driving by an autonomous vehicle? Should it be the operating system, the owner, or the manufacturer who should take responsibility for the incident? These are questions that need to be addressed for driverless cars to be safely utilized.
As new technologies continue to revolutionize the automotive industry, it is important to carefully consider the implications and risks that come with using driverless cars. This is particularly necessary in addressing legal liabilities and ethical considerations, so that when driverless cars become mainstream, there are legal regulations in place to ensure their safe use in public and private areas.
