The Government recently unveiled plans to rollout self-driving vehicles on
The Government's ambitious programme could see vehicles with potentially up to level five automomous driving on
In doing so, this may help
However, this is an ambitious target, considering that we are currently in 2022 and the
As part of the proposed plans, there will of course need to be a comprehensive road testing program. It should be recognised that the
As the
What can the
On a federal level, the US is moving towards authorising use of fully autonomous cars, which will not have any manual control such as steering or pedals. This authorisation is coming from the
The US is currently at a mix of level three and four automation. At present, self-driving cars typically include manual controls for backup safety. Manufacturers must still meet safety standards on a local, state and federal level to launch and operate such vehicles on US roads.
By 2030, it is anticipated that more than half of newly launched cars in
Under current regulation, autonomous cars currently require a safety driver's presence. Within
Baidu, and the most advanced of its rivals, has reached level four autonomous driving, which mean they can operate without a driver but must be pre-loaded with a detailed map, which will restrict the travel path.
It appears the licence granted to Baidu is fully driverless with no safety driver present, therefore if there is a safety supervisor this may be a digital program. These licences are granted by the head office of the
Once a self-driving taxi is on the road, the operator must gather information about pedestrians and local conditions based on daily driving.
What are the legal implications
How do you insure such a vehicle, which is not actively driven. It seems liability will attach to the product manufacturer, however how can this work where there is an accident, in terms of establishing who was at fault? If there is only a passenger on board they are likely not to have the same awareness as an active driver. It is also estimated that it will take up to 20 years to fully replace manually driven cars with automated vehicles. Insurers also need to consider the scenario where there is some level of control built in; where a passenger could step in and avert an accident and does not do so, who is liable: the car for not driving correctly or the passenger for omitting to intervene (even though they are not an active driver)? Insurance products will need to adapt to cover the party which could be liable (see below).
At the same time, as with all technological advancements, more information will be diligtalised and readily available. Those insurers who can effectively harness and utilise this data will be able to create the most competitive products.
Regulatory catch-up: with fast-moving technological development, law and regulations need to keep up so they can enable and authorise technological development. The regulations need to keep up with the pace of development.
Occasionally, a practical solution to a problem emerges faster than the understanding of the problem itself. This is what seems to be happening with Level 3 autonomous vehicles, particularly in
A moral dilemma?
There is a concern about the rapid increase in the number of testing miles. The testing of these cars can put other drivers at risk. There is a moral dilemma here: do regulations allowing such technology create safer roads for people or do they slow the adoption of technologies which can reduce traffic accidents?
In the event of a crash, ethical decisions need to be made, which often puts people in a moral quandry. Such technology may reduce accidents, but will not rule them out altogether. In testing conducted by
Additionally, the moral principles which guide how someone drives vary between countries and individuals. Without a consensus on a universal moral code, this makes it impossible to develop a car that universally satisfies the ethical frameworks adopted by populations around the world.
Liability in the event of a crash
It makes sense to say that when the vehicle is driving itself, the human user is not the 'driver' and therefore cannot be liable whilst the car is in charge. However, what happens when the car commits the offence?
A graduated range of penalities could include: infringement notices, enforceable undertakings, suspension and withdrawal of ADS approval.
The
Driverless vehicles by 2025 - what are the main issues?
The government are seeking a wider rollout of autonomous vehicles in 2025, with some self-driving features rolled out later this year. It is not entirely clear whether level five self-driving automation is even possible (full automation). For context,
The main stumbling block is technological. It is extremely difficult to account for the near-infinite number of variables that a driverless car might encounter. Currently, issues such as running red lights and misidentifying tram tracks still cause issues. Add to that adverse driving conditions (night and/or rain). Most importantly, 'edge cases' represent instances when an unlikely and potentially dangerous event occurs. These are difficult to prepare for, and hence go some way to explaining why the safety of self-driving cars is 99.99% rather than 99.9999%.
Metaculus, a prediction market, has a median prediction for commercially available level five driverless cars as 2031.
How can safety concerns be addressed?
The government is consulting on a 'safety ambition' for autonomous vehicles to be as safe as a competent and careful human driver. This is connected to government plans for the rollout of self-driving vehicles in 2025. At present, the thinking is that safety concerns can be addressed through common standards for autonomous vehicles (with sanctions for failure to meet these standards). A new safety framework is being developed accordingly and a consultation currently open (which closes on
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